A Mysterious Flower
by Mattaki-chan
Summary: Kagome finds a strange flower that only she can touch. And it's the same color as the crescent moon on Sesshomaru's forehead... SessKag, rated M for lemons.
1. Flower of Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Rumiko Takahashi does.

A/N: This is my first SessKag fic, so it might not be that good.

Kagome smiled as she watched Shippo play in the field of bright flowers. It was a warm summer day in feudal Japan. The sun was out and the sky couldn't have been more blue. So why does the black-haired miko feel sad?

It all started a few weeks ago.

-Flashback-

"We haven't got any jewels" Inuyasha complained. Kagome turned to him.

"I told you, I can't sense any." Inuyasha huffed

"Naraku has almost finished the jewel and we're just sitting around making camp" Inuyasha growled.

"We know that, but Kagome doesn't sense anything, so calm down." Inuyasha glared at Miroku before he turned back to Kagome and said, "I bet you don't sense anything 'cause your powers are so weak."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for a moment before standing up and walking out of camp.

-End Flashback-

It had been three years since their journey had started. Kagome was no longer a young, fifteen year old girl, but a strong, eighteen year old woman, and still Inuyasha called her weak.

Kagome had refused to speak to him since that day. They were still trying to collect shards, and it surprised Kagome that there were still any shards left to be collected.

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Shippo cry for help.

"Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed, running up to him. She saw him curled up and crying.

Kagome picked him up and cuddled him. "What's wrong?" Kagome asked her adoptive son.

"Mama, I tried to pick that flower and I got burned" Shippo whined, pointing to a nearby flower.

Kagome looked where he was pointing and saw the flower.

The flower was very strange looking. It resembled a rose, but there were no thorns, and it stood much taller than any of the other flowers.

Also, it was the strangest color. It was purple, but it was dark, and it had a hint of blue in it.

If Kagome hadn't been focused on her son's pain, then she might have said that it matched the crescent moon that Sesshomaru had on his forehead.

Kagome cautiously reached out and touched the flower. It had a strong aura emanating from it.

Kagome picked the flower and inspected it. The aura disappeared immediately.

"Shippo, you said that it burned you, but it doesn't hurt me." Kagome showed Shippo the flower. Shippo reached out and tried to touch the flower, but Kagome pulled it away. "Shippo, I think this flower might hurt you again" Kagome explained. Shippo nodded and smiled.

"It's best that you keep it, Mama. I was going to pick it for you anyway." Kagome smiled and looked at the flower again.

Kagome had a bad feeling about this strange flower, but it wasn't because it had hurt Shippo.

"Maybe Keade knows what kind of a flower it is" Kagome mumbled to herself. She stood up and walked across the field and back to the village where Keade lived.

Kagome walked through the village with Shippo still in her arms.

She continued walked until she had reached the hut that Keade resided in. Kagome moved the flap at the entrance and entered.

Keade was cooking stew for lunch in a large pot over the fire. She looked up and saw Kagome.

"What brings ye here, child?" Kagome sat next to the fire.

"This" Kagome answered, holding up the flower.

Keade inspected the flower for a minute. "Let me hold it" Keade held out her hand.

Kagome placed the flower in her hand.

Keade cried out as the flower singed her hand. The flower fell to the floor.

"Keade, are you okay?" Keade rubbed her palm.

"Aye, I'm all right. That is a strange flower indeed" Keade looked at the flower.

"It was in the field outside" Shippo informed her.

Keade looked at the flower as it lay on the floor.

"What's going on?" Everyone turned to see Miroku standing in the doorway.

"Shippo found a strange flower" Kagome explained. Miroku walked across the room and sat down.

He saw the flower and tried to pick it up. "No don't!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing his hand before he could touch it.

Miroku looked at Kagome. "What's wrong?"

"That flower has burned both Keade and Shippo."

"Kagome is the only one who can touch it" Keade explained. Kagome let go of Miroku and looked at the flower.

"I wonder what it is" Kagome pondered. Everyone looked at the flower again. Kagome picked it up and inspected it closely.

Nothing seemed to be wrong with it. It didn't burn Kagome. Keade turned her attention back to the stew she was cooking. "Kagome, maybe you should get Sango and Inuyasha in here for lunch."

"Sure, be right back." Kagome quickly left the hut.

Miroku turned to Keade and said, "Keade, I believe I know what that flower is." Keade looked up.

"Are ye sure?" Miroku nodded.

"I think I've heard of it before. I've heard of a special flower called a Flower of Fate. It is said that when a female youkai finds it, that it means that she will soon come upon her mate, and that no one can touch it except for her" Miroku explained.

"Kagome is not a female youkai."

"I know, that's why I'm worried." The door to the hut opened as Kagome, Sango, and Inuyasha entered the hut.

"Leave me alone!" Inuyasha demanded as he sat down. Kagome huffed and sat down next to Keade.

"What is wrong with ye?" Kagome turned away and huffed again.

"They had a fight" Sango explained.

"Ye need to stop fighting if ye are to finish collecting the jewel shards" Keade stated, pouring stew into a bowl. She handed the bowl to Kagome and began pouring another one.

"Thanks" Kagome mumbled before eating. Keade handed another bowl to Miroku.

"Thank you, Lady Keade." Miroku bowed in gratitude.

Keade continued pouring the stew until everyone had a bowl. There was tension as everyone ate.

Kagome ate in silence as Shippo talked without noticing that no one else was talking.

" . . . and then we found this" Shippo finished, pointing to the flower. Sango stopped eating and looked at the flower.

She bent down to get a closer look, but she didn't pick it up.

Sango sat up straight again and looked at Shippo and asked, "Shippo, where did you find this?"

Shippo turned to Kagome. She was still eating and trying to stay out of the conversation.

"Kagome, where did you find the flower?" Sango questioned.

Kagome looked up at her and answered, "We found it in the field outside."

Sango looked back at the flower. "Kagome, are you saying that you could touch it?"

Kagome nodded and picked up the flower.

"The flower shocked me and Keade, but Kagome can pick it up" Shippo said.

"Kagome, do you know what this flower is?" Kagome shook her head.

"What is it?" Sango sighed and began explaining.

"It's called a Flower of Fate. When a female youkai finds it, it means that she's going to find her mate soon." Kagome looked puzzled.

"I'm not a youkai."

"We know that. That's what I'm worried about. It might be good or bad, but we can't be sure." Kagome turned to Miroku and took in what he said.

This was all very strange to her.

A/N: That's the end of chapter one. Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you thought of it. This is my very first SessKag fic, so go easy on me. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Please, please, please review so I know how to make it better. Thanks for reading, Bye!


	2. Kagome Meets a Dragon

Rin happily ate the fish that she had cooked. She looked over and noticed that Jaken wasn't eating.

"Master Jaken, why aren't you eating?" Jaken sighed and looked at Rin.

"I have no time for that. Lord Sesshomaru still hasn't returned."

Rin smiled and said, "I'm sure that Lord Sesshomaru will return soon." Jaken shook his head and looked away.

Jaken began thinking out loud when he said, "Lord Sesshomaru has been very troubled lately. He won't even speak to Rin. He only tells Au-Un when we have to set up camp."

Rin finished her fish and tossed the bone aside. The bone struck Jaken in the head and fell on the ground. "You stupid girl!" Rin looked over at Jaken.

"Oh, I'm sorry Master Jaken. I wasn't looking." Jaken huffed and turned his attention to the spot where Sesshomaru had walked off earlier.

Jaken gasped when he caught a familiar scent. He looked into the sky to see Sesshomaru flying in on his youkai cloud.

oOo

Sesshomaru sat next to the small pond. It was quiet in the forest as the youkai lord gathered his thoughts. _Curses. I feel so strange. Ever since yesterday, I've been feeling like something is missing. I don't catch colds, so what could it be? _

Sesshomaru stared at his reflection. Something was missing from his life, but what was it?

He stood and looked at the flower patches on the ground. It had something to do with flowers. That was all that Sesshomaru could tell.

Sesshomaru suddenly saw a strange image in his mind. It was a purple flower, but he had never seen it before.

The image disappeared and Sesshomaru sighed. He summoned his youkai cloud and flew back to camp.

Rin, Jaken, and Au-Un were waiting for him as he gently landed on the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where have you been?" Sesshomaru ignored Rin and sat by the fire.

"My lord, we've been worried about you. What have you been doing?" Sesshomaru only stared at the fire.

"Au-Un, I want you to find something for me." The dragon lifted his heads and looked at his master.

"What do you need to find, my lord?" Sesshomaru ignored Jaken and turned to Au-Un.

"Au-Un, I want you to find a purple flower. It looks like a rose, but without any thorns." Au-Un nodded his heads and flew into the air.

Sesshomaru watched Au-Un leave the camp. He laid against a tree and closed his eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what do you need the flower for?" Sesshomaru opened his eyes and turned to Rin.

"Rin, go to sleep." Rin nodded obediently and laid on the ground. Jaken sighed and went to sleep as well.

oOo

Au-Un flew through the air and searched for the flower that his master wanted.

Au-Un looked left and right through the trees to find it. It was hard to see in the dark.

The hours passed by slowly. Au-Un flew past the border of the forest and came to many hills and valleys with villages here and there.

Nothing was happening in the villages, everyone was probably asleep.

Au-Un passed by a village that caught his attention. A young girl was sitting on the doorstep to a hut.

Au-Un looked closer and saw that the girl had a flower in her hands that fit his mater's description.

The girl was wearing strange clothes. Her kimono only went down to her knees, and it was blue in color, but only nobles could afford to dye their clothes blue.

Au-Un stayed in the air and observed the girl. She had the flower that his master wanted, but he felt bad about attacking an innocent girl.

Au-Un saw as the girl sighed and stood. She slowly began walking away from the village.

Au-Un decided to follow the girl. He flew quietly as the girl walked farther and farther from the village. She would occasionally kick a rock or pull a leaf off of a tree to look at it.

Her behavior was strange. Most people would stay near their villages at all costs, but this girl didn't seem to care.

She continued walking away from the village until she went into the forest, and Au-Un kept close behind her.

The girl finally arrived at a small clearing. She sat on the grass and placed the flower next to her.

Au-Un flew down and landed behind a tree to watch the girl. She sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Am I cursed? Why does this have to happen to me?" Au-Un was surprised to hear her speak. She had been silent up till now.

Au-Un stepped a little closer to hear her better.

"Just when I thought that Inuyasha liked me, he calls me weak. I was going to tell him how I felt. And what about this flower?" The girl picked up the flower and twirled it between her fingers.

Au-Un remembered that Inuyasha was his master's younger brother. Was this girl in love with him? Au-Un felt bad for her, for Inuyasha clearly did not return her feelings.

The girl set the flower down and said, "My life is so miserable. Everything seems to go wrong for me."

That was it. Au-Un decided to go over and comfort the girl. He stepped out from behind the trees. The girl heard him and jumped up.

oOo

Kagome heard a noise and jumped up. A dragon youkai with two heads came out of the forest.

"Don't come near me." The dragon moaned and lowered it's head as a sign that it didn't mean any harm.

Kagome lowered her defense and took a look at the dragon. She knew that she hadn't seen him before.

The dragon slowly approached her and moaned again. "Who are you?" The dragon whined in response and put his left head near her face.

"You have a muzzle. You must have an owner." Kagome raised her hand and gently placed it on one of Au-Un's heads. She began petting him and Au-Un closed his eyes in happiness.

Au-Un saw the flower on the ground and bent his right head down. "No, don't!" Kagome grabbed the flower and stepped away from Au-Un.

Au-Un tilted his head in confusion. "I'm sorry, but this flower shocks anyone who touches it except for me. You're nice, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Au-Un nodded and turned to leave. He had to tell Sesshomaru about this.

"Wait." Au-Un turned back to Kagome. "Thank you for making me feel better." Au-Un nodded and flew into the air.

Kagome watched as the dragon flew away. _Something was familiar about that youkai. It wasn't him, but there was someone else's aura around him. The aura of someone I've met before. _

Kagome shrugged and started walking back to the village.

The flower suddenly started glowing. Kagome gasped and looked at the flower.

The flower glowed for a moment before it stopped and one of the petals fell off of it.

Kagome bent down and picked up the fallen petal. It turned brown and dried up instantly.

"What in the world?" The petal turned to dust and blew away in the light wind. _That was weird. _

-End-

Thanks for reading the second chapter. Sorry, but my Internet isn't working that well, so it might take me a few days, possibly a week, to post each chapter. Sorry. Please keep reading, and please review. I got so many reviews last time, it inspired me to write to next chapter right away. Thanks to all of you who reviewed! I appreciate it. Please review, and thank you for reading. I hope I can get the next chapter posted soon. Bye!


	3. Kidnaped

Au-Un flew back to camp. It was almost sunrise by the time he arrived.

He landed gently on the ground and looked around. Rin and Jaken were still asleep.

Sesshomaru was sitting against a tree. He looked at Au-Un as soon as he landed.

"Au-Un, did you find what I asked you to find?" Au-Un shifted nervously. He wasn't sure whether to tell his master anymore.

If he told him that the girl had it, Sesshomaru would surely go after her. But if he told him that he hadn't found it, he might get in trouble.

Au-Un decided to risk it and let out a loud roar, telling Sesshomaru that he hadn't found the flower.

Sesshomaru listened to the dragon. The flower had not been found.

Sesshomaru stood and nodded, signaling that Au-Un was not in trouble.

Au-Un breathed a sigh of relief. Sesshomaru began walking away from camp.

Jaken slowly opened his eyes and saw that Sesshomaru was walking away.

"Wait, my lord! Wait for me!" Jaken ran over to catch up with Sesshomaru.

Rin sat up and opened her eyes. Au-Un was patiently waiting for her. He moaned and turned to face the other direction.

Rin knew what this meant and she quickly climbed on top of him. Au-Un caught up with Sesshomaru and Jaken and the day began.

Rin remembered the flower that Au-Un had been sent to fetch and asked, "Lord Sesshomaru, did Au-Un find the flower that you wanted?" Sesshomaru didn't answer. Rin knew by now that this usually meant no.

Jaken turned to look at Rin. "I wouldn't bother him if I were you. Lord Sesshomaru has been very testy lately." Jaken received a quick punch to the head from Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why do you need that flower?" Sesshomaru looked back at Rin before walking again.

He thought about her question. Why did he need the flower?

Sesshomaru didn't have the slightest idea. The flower had appeared in his mind, so he knew that he needed it, but what for?

It was a very good question. He came up with his answer and said, "Rin, you will understand when you're older."

Rin whined, "Lord Sesshomaru, you always say that. I'm eleven, I can understand these things now." Sesshomaru growled at Rin, which was enough to silence her.

They continued walking for the rest of the morning. Sesshomaru was deep in thought. He was asking his inner youkai some questions.

Sesshomaru's inner youkai resided deep in his mind. It was what caused him to transform if he became extremely angry. Sesshomaru didn't like it very much.

_Do you know what that flower is? _His inner youkai laughed. _**Of course I do. I'm the one who showed you what it looked like. **_

_What is it? _His inner youkai laughed again and smirked.

_**Why should I tell you? Figure it out**_ Before Sesshomaru could say anything, his inner youkai went back into the confines of his mind, not wanting to be disturbed further.

Sesshomaru hated his inner youkai. It was the side of him that he didn't show physically, and he often remembered things that Sesshomaru couldn't.

Sesshomaru growled and tried to remember where he had seen the flower before. It seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place it. He was also unsure of Au-Un.

The dragon had told him that he found nothing, but somehow, Sesshomaru thought he was lying.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's time for lunch." Sesshomaru heard Rin and stopped.

"Set up camp. I need to go do something." Sesshomaru walked away from the area and left Rin and Jaken to set up camp.

"Why is Lord Sesshomaru always going off? He didn't even answer when I asked him what was wrong." Rin smiled and jumped off Au-Un.

"Maybe Lord Sesshomari is in love." Jaken stared at her like she had just spit up a horse.

"Why would he be in love? Lord Sesshomaru has no time for things like that." Rin shrugged and sat down.

"That might be why he's always going away, to see a nice, pretty lady." Jaken huffed and began collecting wood for a fire.

oOo

Sesshomaru walked through the woods and tried to collect his thoughts.

He had to find out about that flower. He suddenly remembered something.

There was a book in the library at his castle that told about strange plants. It might be in there.

But his castle was over a month away, two weeks if he flew there by himself. They were currently in the Eastern territory, opposite of the West.

Sesshomaru growled and sat on the grass. He had to figure this out. If he flew to the castle by himself, what would Rin and Jaken do? They could stay with his mother, but she didn't like Sesshomaru as it was. She would probably try and eat them.

He could let Au-Un protect them. That wasn't the safest, but it was the easiest. Sesshomaru thought about this and decided against it. He already suspected the dragon of lying.

This was the most frustrating thing that Sesshomaru ever had to solve. And Naraku was still out there. He could try and kidnap Rin again while he was gone.

Sesshomaru decided that it was best if Au-Un watched Rin and Jaken while he was gone.

He stood and walked back to the camp. He walked slowly while he decided what he should tell Au-Un to make sure that he protected Rin.

Sesshomaru suddenly caught the scent of a youkai. He rushed off to see if Rin was okay.

He heard Rin scream and ran even faster. But it was too late.

oOo

Jaken tended the fire while Rin ate her cooked mushroom.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken grumbled and picked up his mushroom.

"I don't know. He's been gone for so long." They suddenly heard loud crashing from the forest.

Rin gasped and Jaken stood to protect her. Au-Un heard the noise and did the same.

A large youkai crashed into the area. He had two heads, with five eyes each. His arms were twisted and misshapen, and his fangs were each a foot long.

The youkai roared and looked at Rin.

"Give me the girl!" Jaken moved in front of Rin and raised his staff.

"Feel the wrath of The Staff of Two Heads!" Fire spat out from his staff, but the youkai merely blocked the fire and knocked him out of the way. "The girl!" Au-Un went in front of Rin and growled.

The youkai struck Au-Un down with his claws and kicked him to the side. He turned to Rin and she screamed as he picked her up and walked away.

oOo

When Sesshomaru reached camp, it was torn to pieces.

Bits and pieces of wood torn from the trees were on the ground. Jaken was unconscious with many wounds, and Au-Un was bleeding severely.

"Au-Un, what happened?! Where's Rin?!" Au-Un slowly lifted one of his heads and pointed towards the south.

Sesshomaru didn't waste any time and ran to rescue Rin. He could smell her scent, and he followed it to a river.

Her scent disappeared at the river, and Sesshomaru growled. _Her scent is gone! _He quickly summoned his youkai cloud and began searching for Rin from the air.

oOo

"Let go of me!" Rin struggled against the grip of the large youkai.

"Be quiet! Someone has offered me a large reward for you, and I have no intention of letting this chance pass me by." Rin kept struggling.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" The youkai finally hit Rin on the head and knocked her out.

"Stupid girl. I'll have the reward I deserve when I hand this brat over. I'll finally have what I desire."

-End-

Hi! Here's the next chapter. So, Rin has been kidnaped. Will Sesshomaru find her in time, or will someone else have to save her? Trust me, I'm not going to have Sesshomaru and Kagome meet for at least another chapter or two, so you'll have to wait. Please review so I know what you thought of this chapter. I'm trying my best. Please continue to read, and please review. Bye!


	4. Confusion

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha searched through the forest and sniffed around for her scent.

"Where could she be?" Sango looked left and right while riding Kirara.

"Mama was home after dinner, but she never went to bed." Shippo wanted desperately to see his mother.

"I got her scent! But I smell a youkai as well." Shippo looked at Inuyasha.

"A y-youkai?" Shippo choked out. He shifted nervously at the thought that something happened to Kagome.

"Follow me." Inuyasha leaped through the trees until he came to a small clearing. A figure was lying on the ground with a flower in her hand.

oOo

Kagome groaned as sleep left her mind and she became conscious of her surroundings.

"Wake up, stupid! We have to search for more shards!" Kagome heard the half-demon's voice and sat up.

Inuyasha was glaring at Kagome as she sat up and looked at him. "Inuyasha, what is it?"

"Stupid! What are you doing in the field?" Kagome looked around. She was in the field that she had been in last night.

Kagome mumbled, "I went out to look at the stars. I must have fallen asleep." Then she remembered the dragon. And the familiar aura that had been around him.

In the three years that Kagome had been in Feudal Japan, she had learned to use her skills very well. She could now purify thirty youkai with a single arrow, make useful medicines out of local herbs, and sense the auras of others.

Kagome couldn't tell people apart by scent, like a youkai. But she could sense their auras and know which aura was which. It was a little more useful because she could sense an aura through water, where a scent would disappear. And an aura would linger around an area longer.

Kagome was sure that the aura around the dragon belonged to someone she knew, but it was someone from a long time ago. Koga? No, he had visited last week in hopes of getting her now that she and Inuyasha were fighting. Jinengi? No, that wasn't it either.Who was it?

"Mama?" Kagome heard Shippo and looked over. The little fox was afraid to come near Inuyasha.

"Come here, Shippo." Shippo smiled and jumped into his mother's arms.

"What happened, Mama?" Kagome stroked Shippo and cuddled him.

"I'm fine. I came out here last night to think."

"About what?" Kagome stopped at this and looked up.

She had wanted to think about her relationship with Inuyasha. He had declared his eternal love for Kikyo a while back, and told her that he would never love her more than a brother could.

But after that fight, Inuyasha had neglected her completely. He would yell and call her names. He had started that even before the fight.

Kagome knew now that she would never be with Inuyasha the way she had hoped. It made her extremely sad. She had wanted Inuyasha as a mate, and to have his children. But he was obsessed with Kikyo.

The dragon had come while she had been thinking about this. He had tried to make her feel better. Kagome remembered how he had reached for the flower. Was that what he had wanted?

Kagome was brought out of her musings when Inuyasha shouted, "Let's get going already!"

"Inuyasha, let Kagome answer Shippo without interruption." Inuyasha turned to the monk.

"What do you care?" Miroku didn't answer.

"Shippo, I just wanted some peace and quiet, that's all." Shippo smiled at Kagome. Kagome stood and looked at Sango.

"Sango, I need to ask you something." Sango nodded.

"Sure, anything." Kagome gently placed Shippo on the ground.

"I want to talk in private." Shippo jumped back on Kirara. Sango went up to Kagome and the two girls began talking where the others couldn't hear them.

"What is it?" Kagome looked at the ground and twirled the flower between her fingers.

"Sango, something happened last night. A petal came off of the flower and turned to dust." Sango looked at Kagome in confusion.

"Kagome, have you had any contact with any males besides Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo?" Kagome looked up at Sango.

"Why do you ask?" Sango pulled Kagome a little farther from the others.

"I've heard that the flower loses a petal when the female comes close to her future mate when she's holding the flower." Now Kagome was confused. The only other person that she had been with besides her friends was that dragon.

Kagome shook her head. No, he couldn't be her mate. She couldn't even understand his language. Then it hit her, the aura.

The aura around the dragon had been that of a male. Now that Kagome thought about it, there had been three auras. One of them was a girl, and two were male youkai. And then their was the dragon's own aura.

That must have been why she couldn't tell who the aura belonged to. It was mixed with others, and all of the auras were of people that she knew, but hadn't seen in a long time.

Kagome tried to focus and place the auras. The dragon's aura was still lingered in the clearing, and the other auras with it. Kagome focused and slowly found out.

The most familiar aura was that of the dragon itself. The one after belonged to a human girl, eleven or twelve.

The next aura was that of a male youkai. He was probably a toad or imp, from what Kagome could tell.

The last aura was the faintest. This person probably didn't have much contact with the dragon. Kagome had to concentrate hard. She could tell that it was the aura of a male youkai. The youkai was a breed of some sort of mammal, a wolf or fox maybe? No, something else.

"Kagome?" Kagome lost her concentration and looked at Sango.

"What?" Sango looked at Kagome with worry.

"You were staring into space. Were you using your miko powers?" Kagome smiled. Sango was like a sister to her, and she could read her like a book.

"No, it's fine." Kagome wasn't sure whether she should tell anyone about the dragon yet.

"Kagome, I can tell that you're lying." Kagome laughed.

"Sango, how do you do that? Yes, I was using my powers, but I'd rather not tell you why." Sango nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Let's go back to the others." The two girls walked back to their friends.

"Let's go." Inuyasha turned and began leaping away.

Shippo muttered, "Stupid Inuyasha." Kagome picked up Shippo and hugged him.

"Shippo, it's okay." Miroku turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, you should ride Kirara with Sango and I'll take Shippo." Kagome nodded and climbed on Kirara's back. Sango sat in front of her and Shippo jumped on the monk's shoulder.

They soon caught up with Inuyasha and began following him.

"Kagome, can you sense any shards?" Kagome couldn't feel anything.

"No, I can't." Inuyasha huffed and began going faster.

"You never sense anything." What Inuyasha said was a lie. Kagome suddenly felt a strange aura. It was a youkai, but there was something else.

Kagome gasped as she realized what it was. The youkai had a human girl, and her aura matched the one on the dragon.

oOo

The youkai finally reached his destination, a murky swamp covered in bugs and youkai that slithered through the muck of dead plants and water.

"I'm here for the shard!" The youkai's voice boomed through the swamp. The murky waters started to stir as a strange creature came out.

The youkai that came from the water appeared to be a snake-like creature with five tails, and skin as dark as the midnight sky.

"You have the human?" the snake hissed. The youkai held up Rin, who was beginning to stir.

Rin opened her eyes and looked around. She covered her nose at the horrible stench coming from the swamp. She noticed the snake and she scowled.

"Where am I? What do you want with me?" Rin began struggling as hard as she could.

"Stop, or I shall knock you unconscious again." Rin stopped struggling immediately.

"Give me the girl." The youkai turned to the snake.

"I want my shard first." The snake hissed and bent his head into the water. When he came up, he had a Sacred Jewel shard in his mouth.

"The girl." The youkai held Rin out in one hand and held his other hand out to take the shard.

"Who are you?!" The snake and youkai both turned to see Inuyasha come crashing through the swamp.

-End-

Hi! I'd like to thank everyone who has sent me reviews. I never imagined that I'd get 30 reviews this fast! Thanks so much! I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update soon. Please send me a review. It makes me so happy when I get reviews! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Bye!


	5. Rescue

The rest of the gang arrived and saw Inuyasha confronting two large youkai. Kagome gasped when she saw the girl in the hands of one of them.

Kagome recognized that girl, but her memory failed to place who she was. She looked very familiar. _Why can't I remember things when I need to? _

"What do you want?" Kagome looked at the large snake youkai.

Kagome jumped off Kirara and faced the youkai with the girl. "Let go of that girl right now!" The youkai laughed at her threat.

"You think you can threaten me?" Kagome noticed that the snake had a shard in it's mouth.

"Inuyasha, that snake has a shard!" Inuyasha turned to the snake.

"How about giving me that shard?" The snake only laughed.

"Why should I?" The snake could barely talk with the shard in it's mouth.

"Then I'll have to take it!" Inuyasha leaped into the air and slashed the snake. The snake dodged, but dropped the shard.

The youkai holding the girl noticed this and went for the shard.

"Oh no you don't!" Kagome took her bow of Kirara's back, loaded an arrow, and shot.

The arrow hit the youkai in the head and he was quickly purified. The girl screamed as she dropped to the ground.

Kirara flew and caught the girl.

Kagome went over to Kirara. "Good job, Kirara." Kagome looked at the girl. She definitely looked familiar. "Are you okay?" The girl slowly opened her eyes and looked at Kagome. She sat up and smiled.

"I remember you. I'm fine." Kagome looked puzzled. The girl seemed to remember her.

"I'm glad that you're okay. If you don't mind, could you tell me your name? I don't remember you." The girl's smiled faded for a moment before coming back.

"My name is Rin." Kagome was still confused. "I travel with Lord Sesshomaru."

Now Kagome remembered. She had rescued Rin three years ago. And she had seen her help Jaken when he had tried to steal Tetsusaiga. It all made sense now.

The auras around the dragon had been the auras of Rin, Jaken, and Sesshomaru. Kagome couldn't believe it.

Sango gasped and called out, "Kagome, watch out!" Kagome and Rin turned and both screamed when the snake attacked them.

But nothing happened. Kagome looked up and saw a flash of silver as the snake was killed.

Rin smiled and cried out, "Lord Sesshomaru!"

oOo

Sesshomaru flew through the air, searching for Rin. He had been flying for the last few minutes, going faster with each passing second.

Finally, Sesshomaru caught Rin's scent, but it he could also smell two youkai, and his brother.

Sesshomaru flew even faster. He didn't want Inuyasha hurting Rin.

He came to a large swamp and saw Rin on top of a cat youkai, talking to a girl.

Sesshomaru looked closer and saw that the girl was his brother's wench.

A snake youkai came up from behind them. A young woman called out to them and Rin and the wench both screamed.

Sesshomaru dived down and quickly killed the snake before it could hurt Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru gently landed on the ground and looked at Rin.

"Rin, come here." Rin jumped off Kirara and went over to Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru, that woman saved my life!" Rin pointed to Kagome. Sesshomaru looked at her. She appeared to be scared and nervous. Sesshomaru didn't want to bother with her.

"Rin, we're going." Sesshomaru began walking away, but Rin didn't follow.

Sesshomaru turned to see Rin hugging Kagome. "Thank you for saving me." Kagome smiled and hugged Rin back.

"My pleasure." Rin let go and saw the flower that Kagome held.

"Lord Sesshomaru, isn't that the flower that you needed?" Sesshomaru looked at Kagome's hand and saw the flower.

He came up to Kagome so fast that Kagome jumped. "Where did you get that flower?"

Kagome shivered in fear. Inuyasha ran over and defended Kagome.

"Leave her alone, Sesshomaru. I don't want you hurting Kagome. We still need her to find the shards." Sesshomaru growled and knocked Inuyasha out of the way.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome tried to help Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.

"I asked you a question." Kagome tried to free herself from his grip, but as a human she was unable to do this.

"Lord Sesshomaru, don't hurt her." Rin ran up to Sesshomaru and pulled at his arm.

"I will not harm her if she answers me." Kagome stopped struggling.

"I found it in a field. It's just a flower." Sesshomaru let go of her, and Rin let go of Sesshomaru.

"Let me see the flower." Kagome shook her head and stepped back.

Sesshomaru swiftly took the flower from Kagome before she could stop him. "No, you'll get hurt!" Kagome watched in amazement as Sesshomaru observed the flower without getting burned.

"What do you mean? This flower isn't hurting me." Sesshomaru inspected the flower further, but found nothing of interest.

Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo were watching from the sidelines. Inuyasha had been knocked unconscious, but they were too busy watching Sesshomaru and Kagome to help him.

Miroku watched with just as much amazement as everyone else. "How is Sesshomaru able to touch the flower?"

Sesshomaru heard him and turned to face the monk. "Monk, what do you mean?" Kagome stepped toward Sesshomaru this time.

"Sesshomaru, I'm the only one who's supposed to be able to touch the flower." Sesshomaru listened to her, and something in his memory was jogged.

He remembered reading about a flower that could only be touched by one person. It was called the Flower of Fate, but that was all that Sesshomaru could remember about it.

But if he could touch it, then this couldn't be the same flower. "I need this flower, and I won't let you stop me. Come, Rin." Sesshomaru quickly summoned his youkai cloud, and Rin jumped on.

Sesshomaru flew through the air and away from the swamp.

"Kagome, shouldn't we go after him?" Kagome turned to Sango.

"No, it's okay. I didn't want that flower anyway. It looks like Sesshomaru needs it more than I do." Inuyasha groaned and started to wake up.

"Inuyasha, you're awake." Shippo hopped over to Inuyasha.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha stood and looked around for him.

"Inuyasha, he left. And he took the flower with him." Inuyasha glared at Sango and turned to look at Kagome.

"Kagome, how could you let him have it?"

"What do you mean? It's not like we need it." Inuyasha walked up to Kagome and glared at her.

"Kagome, Sesshomaru thinks he can do whatever he wants. Letting him have the flower just makes him even more arrogant. Sesshomaru probably wanted the flower for a reason, and that can't be good." Kagome put her hands on her hips.

"You're one to talk! You're the most arrogant person I've ever met! I can't believe that we ever became friends!" Inuyasha jumped back at her outburst, but quickly recovered.

"You're the arrogant one! You're always going home for your stupid tests when you should be looking for shards!"

"I'm just a shard detector to you! You're so hung up over that clay pot, that you can't pay attention to the rest of us!"

"How dare you call Kikyo that! She's a better priestess than you!"

Miroku finally ended it by saying, "Kagome, I think it's time that we tried to find the shard that the snake had. He dropped it in the water." Kagome heard him and looked over at the water.

Kagome found the shard and angrily said, "It's over there!" Kagome pointed to where she saw the shard and stormed off.

"Mama, wait!" Shippo followed after her as Kagome ran into the woods.

"Idiot." Inuyasha walked over and began searching through the water to find the shard. He saw it and picked it up.

Sango looked over at Inuyasha and began scolding him when she said, "Inuyasha, you should know better than to yell at poor Kagome."

"Feh."

-End-

Hey, thanks for reading! I was on a role and ended up making the next chapter much sooner than I thought. I hope you liked it. Please review! It makes me happy every time I get one, and it would help with making the story. I actually had someone review and predict exactly what was going to happen in this chapter. Anyway, everyone has been great! Thanks for reading, because it just makes me want to write more! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Bye!


	6. Sickness

Sesshomaru flew through the air with Rin clinging to his leg.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I don't think it was very nice of you to take that flower away." Sesshomaru didn't respond.

Rin had been getting attitude recently, and although she still used his title, she wouldn't always listen to him.

Sesshomaru continued flying until the camp came into view. He slowly descended and Rin jumped off his youkai cloud. "Jaken, Au-Un, are you okay?" Rin ran over to them to see how they were.

Au-Un was laying against a tree, and Jaken had his back against Au-Un. Jaken had ripped the sleeves from his shirt to wrap his wounds, and Au-Un had licked his own wounds clean.

Jaken sat up and looked at Sesshomaru. "My lord, you have rescued Rin." Jaken noticed the flower that Sesshomaru had in his hand. "Lord Sesshomaru, is that the flower that Au-Un tried to find?"

Au-Un raised his head and looked over. He saw the flower and moaned. He hoped that Sesshomaru hadn't harmed the girl.

"Yes, it is." Sesshomaru brought the flower to his face to look at it again. He was surprised when the flower started glowing.

It glowed for only a moment before it stopped, and one of the petals fell of and turned to dust.

"Lord Sesshomaru, one of the petals fell off." Rin stood and tried to get a closer look at the flower. Now Sesshomaru was curious. The flower looked perfectly healthy, and yet a petal had fallen from it.

Sesshomaru looked at the flower for a few more seconds before looking down at Rin.

"Rin, keep this safe." Rin paused for a moment before taking the flower.

"Ow!" Rin cried out in pain as the flower shocked her.

Rin instinctively let go and the flower fell to the ground. Sesshomaru bent down and picked up the flower. "Rin, are you all right?" Rin nodded and sat near a tree to make sure her hand was okay.

Sesshomaru inspected the flower again. He remembered reading about the Flower of Fate again, and tried to remember what he could.

The Flower of Fate had no specific shape of form. It always looked like a flower, but it was different each time. It was also very rare. The Flower of Fate would only show itself to a female youkai when she was going to find her mate soon. Only the female youkai, and her mate when she found him, would be able to touch the flower.

Sesshomaru couldn't remember much more. He thought about the flower that he had. It couldn't be the Flower of Fate.

One reason was that his brother's wench had had it, and she was human. The flower could only be touched by a female youkai.

Another reason was that, although the wench had seemed to have affections for his brother, Sesshomaru had overheard them fighting as he was flying away, and he had heard his brother declare his love for the dead priestess a while back.

Sesshomaru reasoned that this couldn't be the same flower. From what Sesshomaru had heard, he and the wench were the only people who could touch it, and if this was the Flower of Fate, then that would mean that he and the wench would be mates, and Sesshomaru held no feelings for the girl, or any humans besides Rin.

_**You know that's not true. **_Sesshomaru growled at hearing his inner youkai interrupt his thoughts. _This is none of your business. __**Of course it is. I'm part of you, so your business is my business. **_Sesshomaru growled again and his inner youkai receded back into the confines of his mind.

Sesshomaru would have thought of himself as crazy if he didn't know that every Inu Youkai had a separate part of them known as their inner youkai that caused them to involuntarily transform if they were angry enough.

He stood and inspected the flower again. No, Sesshomaru decided, this couldn't be the Flower of Fate.

oOo

Kagome stormed away from the group with Shippo following close behind.

"Mama!" Kagome stopped and turned to see her son running after her.

"What is it, Shippo?" Shippo caught up to her and panted.

"Mama, where are you going?" Kagome smiled and picked up Shippo.

"Shippo, I just want to go home and relax. Inuyasha is being a jerk, and I don't want to deal with it right now." Shippo nodded in understanding and Kagome set him down. "I'll see you later." Kagome turned to walk away, but she suddenly clutched her stomach and lurched forward to puke.

"Mama!" Shippo ran up to Kagome and saw that her face was very pale. Kagome moaned and fell to the ground. "Mama!" Shippo tried to get Kagome up, but she wouldn't move.

Shippo hurried back to the others to get help.

Later, Kagome was lying next to a fire with a blanket over her. Sango was heating up water to use in making the instant ramen that she had found in Kagome's bag.

"Shippo, what happened to Kagome?" Shippo shrugged.

"Mama just bent forward and threw up. She didn't seem sick at all until she did that." Sango sighed and poured some hot water into the ramen cup.

"Man, first you walk away, then you get sick. Can't you do anything right?" Everyone glared at Inuyasha, save Kagome, who was too sick to do anything.

Sango wanted to hit him with a stick, but Miroku beat her to it. He hit Inuyasha on the head with his staff and said, "Inuyasha, I'm sick and tired of your attitude. I realize that you have feelings for Kikyo and have told Kagome that you don't love her, but ever since then, you've been treating her worse than she deserves. You yell at her and insult her. You call her weak when she has actually strengthened considerably since she first came here. It is not her fault if she isn't always sensing jewel shards. I'm sure that she feels bad enough. That flower that she found tells us that she's going to find her mate soon, but I'm sure that you're the last person that she would want as a mate!" Sango, Shippo and Kirara stared at Miroku. He had never scolded Inuyasha like that.

Inuyasha swiped his staff away and stood. "Kikyo is a better priestess than Kagome will ever be! All you guys do is yell at me because I made Kagome feel bad! Well I've got new for you! I don't care! Kikyo is stronger than any of you, and I know that she'll help me defeat Naraku, and we'll get the rest of the shards faster than you guys ever could!" Inuyasha leaped away from camp and left the others alone.

"Inuyasha is a total idiot. Mama deserves better than him anyway." Kagome moaned and they all turned to her.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Kagome nodded and Sango helped her sit up. "Here, eat this." Sango lifted up the ramen and helped Kagome eat it.

After she was finished, Kagome looked over at Miroku. "Thank you for standing up for me. I would have felt bad if I had yelled at Inuyasha like that." Miroku smiled.

"My pleasure. Inuyasha doesn't have the right to be so cruel. We can make due without him." Kagome nodded and laid back down. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

When Kagome fell asleep, Miroku turned his attention to everyone else. "I have something to discuss." Everyone looked at him. "The Flower of Fate can only be held by a female youkai, or human in this case, who is about to find her mate. Kagome was the only one who could hold it. But then Sesshomaru took it from her and he wasn't burned. Does that tell us something?" Sango nodded nervously, Shippo shrugged, and Kirara mewed.

"Why can Sesshomaru touch the flower? I thought only Mama could do that." Sango patted Shippo on the shoulder.

"Shippo, I think that it means that Sesshomaru and Kagome are supposed to be mates." Shippo just stared at her for a minute.

"But that can't be true." Miroku sighed.

"That's what I thought."

"There are plenty of reasons why it could mean something different," Sango suggested.

Miroku thought about it for a few minutes. "One reason is that Sesshomaru has no interest in Kagome, at least, not that I know of, and I'm sure Kagome has no interest in him. Also, the Flower of Fate is supposed to be found by a female youkai, not a female human. It might not be that Flower of Fate for all we know. It could be a flower that shocks certain people and doesn't harm others."

Sango crossed her arms. "I'm sure it's the Flower of Fate. Kagome said that it lost a petal the night that she was in the field, and that happens when the male is near the female when she's holding the flower. We rescued Rin the next day, which meant that Sesshomaru was probably close by."

"But Mama was holding the flower when Sesshomaru came for Rin, and it didn't lose a petal." Sango thought about this.

"I think that it's because Sesshomaru was being hostile towards Kagome. A mate wouldn't do that, and maybe the flower temporarily decided that Sesshomaru wasn't supposed to be her mate."

"Are you suggesting that the flower has a mind off it's own?" Sango looked at Miroku and shrugged.

"We don't know much about the flower. Anything could be true." Miroku nodded, somewhat seeing her point.

"Did anyone else notice that Mama got sick right after Sesshomaru took the flower away?" Everyone turned to Shippo.

-End-

Hey! This is chapter six! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. I would like to thank the person who pointed it out to me that the flower didn't lose a petal when Sesshomaru came for Rin. I know you're intentions were good, but I did that for a reason. I bet you all know why Kagome is sick, but I'll explain a little more in the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought. I'd like to know if anyone else thinks they saw a mistake in the plot line. You've all been wonderful readers! I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as I can. I have school off Monday, giving me a little more time to work, and then there's Thanksgiving break, which will give me even more time. But on school days, with how slow my computer is, it'll be hard to put up chapters. Keep that in mind if I haven't put up a chapter during the school week. Well, I'll talk later. Please review, and I'll try to get up the next chapter ASAP. Bye!


	7. The Mission

Kagome awoke several hours later to see everyone eating lunch.

"Mama, you're awake." Kagome managed a faint smile.

"How are you feeling?" Kagome looked at Sango.

"Not very good. Actually, I feel worse." Sango smiled comfortingly at her friend. Kagome suddenly lurched forward and threw up on her blanket.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome laid back down and moaned.

"I'll get you a new blanket." Sango gently took the blanket away and went to the river to wash it. Miroku took another blanket and placed it over Kagome.

"I'm sure you'll feel better soon." Kagome didn't think she was going to get better at all.

Sango returned with the blanket and left it by the fire to dry. She sat next to everyone else and finished her lunch.

"I don't think we'll be traveling any time soon." Sango nodded.

"I hope Mama gets better soon." Sango tried to comfort the kit, but it didn't help.

Although Shippo was older, he was still very young by youkai standards, and he needed a mother. Kagome was too sick to care for him, so Sango filled in, but it wasn't the same to Shippo.

"Sango, can I go to the river? I want to think about some things." Sango thought about it for a minute.

"I'm going to go with you. Miroku, do you mind tending to Kagome?"

"I'd be happy to." Sango picked up Shippo and walked back to the river.

She set Shippo down near the water and sat next to him.

Shippo looked at the clear blue water. It moved gently, carrying sticks and plants that had fallen in. The fish swam in the direction of the current.

Shippo began thinking about some things. _Mama is sick. She's been upset since that idiot Inuyasha declared his love for Kikyo. Why is he so hung up over her? She's dead, and that means that she'd never be able to have his kids. Her body is made of clay, and I know enough to realize that a clay person can't have children. Mama loved him so much. _

_Why could Sesshomaru touch her flower? Why did he have to take it away? Mama could've used it to find her mate. I'm sure that Inuyasha isn't her mate. _

_Sesshomaru couldn't be her mate, could he? He hates humans, except for that little girl that travels with him. Her name was . . . Rin, that's it. Why does she travel with him? She must know how cold-hearted he is. _

_I wish I were older. Older people always seem to understand things better. I hope Mama gets better. She's been sick ever since Sesshomaru took away her flower. _

Shippo remembered his earlier conversation.

-Flashback-

Sango looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when Sesshomaru took away the flower, Mama fought with Inuyasha and then she threw up."

"Maybe Kagome is sick of fighting with Inuyasha." Sango slapped Miroku.

"We don't need your jokes, monk." Sango turned back to Shippo. "Shippo, do you think you've figured out something about the flower?" Shippo nodded.

"Mama got sick when the flower was taken away. Maybe, when a female finds a flower, she needs to keep it to survive." Sango thought about this.

"Shippo, I think you may be on to something." Miroku looked at Shippo after he had finished rubbing the spot where Sango had slapped him.

"I think Sango is right. Shippo, I want you to try and retrieve the flower after dinner tonight. You can transform into a harmless animal and try to find where Sesshomaru is. You can take one of Kagome's napkins with you to hold the flower so it doesn't shock you. Then you can take the flower back here and we'll see if Kagome gets better."

Sango objected to this. "Miroku, Shippo can't do that. Sesshomaru will hurt Shippo."

"On the contrary, the human girl that travels with Sesshomaru will put a stop to that."

"How?" Miroku smiled slyly.

"Shippo will become a cute animal, and once he finds the camp, will befriend the girl. She won't let Sesshomaru hurt Shippo, even if he transforms back into his true form."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "You're pretty sly for a monk." Miroku only smiled more.

"How are you sure that the girl won't let Sesshomaru hurt me?"

"Trust me, I know women." Sango slapped him again.

"I'll give it a try. But only to see if Mama gets better."

-End Flashback-

Shippo was nervous about the plan. Sesshomaru was a powerful youkai lord, and he could kill him in a split second. Something suddenly occurred to Shippo. He turned to Sango, who was watching him like a hawk.

"Sango, maybe Sesshomaru can touch Mama's flower because he's a youkai lord." Sango looked confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's really powerful, so he might be powerful enough to resist the shock from the flower." Sango thought about this for a minute.

"That might be true, but I'm not so sure. Let's go back to camp and tell Miroku." Shippo nodded and they both went back to camp.

Miroku was deep in thought. Sango suddenly got an idea.

"Shippo, wait here. I'm going to get back at Miroku for his stupid jokes earlier." Sango crept up behind Miroku.

He didn't notice as Sango slowly came up behind him. "Boo!"

Miroku jumped up and hit Sango with his staff be mistake. Sango fell backward and tripped over Kagome, who was still asleep. Kagome woke up and groaned.

Shippo saw Kagome wake up and rushed over to her, but he tripped on a rock and tumbled into Miroku's legs. Miroku fell back and hit his head on a tree.

Kagome slowly sat up and looked around. Everyone else was on the ground, except for Kirara, who was asleep on a rock nearby.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all sat up and looked at each other. They all burst into laughter at realizing what had happened. Kagome, who didn't know what had occurred, went back to sleep.

"Sango, why did you have to scare me like that?"

"To get you back for that stupid joke you made about knowing women." Miroku rubbed his head.

"Is everyone all right?" Shippo and Sango both nodded.

oOo

After everyone had dinner that night, and Kagome threw up again, Shippo started to prepare for his mission.

Miroku took a napkin from Kagome's backpack.

"Here, Shippo. Wrap this around the flower when you find it so it won't shock you." Shippo took the napkin and tucked it in his shirt.

"Shippo, stay safe. Kagome will murder me if anything happens to you." Shippo nodded.

"I'm ready. I'll be careful." Shippo jumped in the air and transformed into a rabbit.

"Remember, make sure the girl thinks you're a friend before you do anything." Shippo hopped off into the forest to start his search.

oOo

Shippo had been searching for hours. As a rabbit, he traveled very slowly, and he didn't cover much ground. Shippo had learned to keep his transformations for as long as he wanted, but at this rate, it would be sunrise before he found Sesshomaru's camp.

Shippo was tired and decided to rest. Just then, he caught Sesshomaru's scent. It wasn't far off. Shippo rested for a minute before starting up again.

He had been hopping for a few more minutes before he found it.

Rin was asleep on top of Au-Un, and Jaken was sleeping nearby. Sesshomaru was sitting against a tree, wide awake. _Now what do I do? Sesshomaru is awake. _

Shippo slowly hopped into the camp and tried to hide himself behind the bushes. Sesshomaru didn't pay attention to him. Shippo continued hopping.

Shippo hopped onto Au-Un, which woke up both Rin and Au-Un.

"Lord Sesshomaru, look. It's a rabbit." Rin smiled and started petting Shippo. Shippo thought it was very soothing. He wasn't surprised when Rin picked him up.

Shippo had never felt this relaxed in his life. He almost forgot why he was here, but Shippo saw the flower in Sesshomaru's hand and remembered his mission.

Sesshomaru looked over at Shippo. "Rin, that isn't a rabbit. It's a fox youkai."

-End-

Hi! I hope you liked this chapter. School is going to start again tomorrow, so it might take a few days before I have the next chapter. Sorry. Please review. Thank you for reading everything so far. This story is doing fairly well. Please keep reading, and please review. Bye!


	8. Kagome Feels Better

Shippo became extremely nervous. Sesshomaru had figured him out. Shippo supposed that it was because he had forgotten to disguise his scent.

Rin picked up Shippo and looked at him. He looked like a normal rabbit to her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you sure?" Shippo couldn't take the pressure. He jumped out of Rin's hands and transformed back into his true form. Rin gasped.

Sesshomaru walked over and picked Shippo up by his tail. "Why are you here?" Shippo struggled, but to no avail.

"Lord Sesshomaru, don't hurt him." Shippo gave up and looked at Sesshomaru. He looked even more terrifying than Shippo already thought he was.

"P-Please, let me go." Sesshomaru inspected Shippo closely.

"You're the kit that my brother's wench protects."

"Hey! Kagome doesn't belong to Inuyasha!" Shippo covered his mouth. Sesshomaru continued to look him over.

Humans and youkai rarely adopted pups and children that didn't belong to them. Especially one of a different race. Humans wouldn't normally adopt youkai, and vice versa. Sesshomaru thought about how he had adopted Rin. _So the wench and I do have something in common. _Sesshomaru realized what he was thinking and pushed the thought aside.

"Why are you here?" Shippo began shaking with fear.

"I j-just wanted Mama's flower. She's sick, and I need it to make her better." Sesshomaru glanced back at the flower. It was on the ground where he had been sitting.

"How will the flower make her feel better?" Shippo felt a lump starting to form in his throat.

"I think the Mama needs the flower, or else she might die." Sesshomaru thought about this. The kit sounded as if he truly feared for her life.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I think you should give him back the flower." Both Sesshomaru and Shippo looked over at Rin. "If she's sick and needs the flower to get better, then the fox's mother deserves to get the flower back." Shippo was grateful to hear this.

"Rin, do you care for that woman?"

"Of course I do. She saved my life twice. She deserves to be repaid. We didn't have the right to take the flower in the first place." Sesshomaru contemplated what Rin said.

"I will bring the flower to the wench and see if she feels better. If not, then I'm keeping the flower." Rin nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"What about me?" Sesshomaru looked at Shippo.

"I'll bring you back to your mother." Shippo released the breath he had been holding.

Sesshomaru dropped Shippo on the ground and picked up the flower.

"Rin, take the fox on Au-Un." Rin went over to Shippo and smiled.

"Come on, let's go." Shippo stood and followed Rin to Au-Un. They both sat on him and Au-Un prepared to fly. Sesshomaru summoned his youkai cloud, and they all set off.

With flight, what took Shippo hours, only took the group a few minutes. They reached the camp and descended.

oOo

Sango and Miroku were both amazed when they saw Sesshomaru and Rin fly in and descend into camp. They noticed that Shippo was with them.

"Shippo, are you okay?" Shippo jumped off Au-Un and ran over to Sango.

"I'm fine. Sesshomaru agreed to bring the flower back to see if Kagome feels better, but he's keeping it if she doesn't." Sango and Miroku were both shocked and disappointed to hear this. They hadn't thought that Sesshomaru would bring the flower back of his own accord, but they both expected the fact that he planned to keep it.

Sesshomaru walked up to them.

"Where is the girl?" They all pointed to Kagome, who was sleeping next to the fire. Sesshomaru walked up to her. "Wake up." Kagome groaned and sat up.

She was surprised to see Sesshomaru standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought the flower back to see if you would feel better." Kagome looked over at Sango, Miroku, and Shippo.

"Was this you idea?" All three of them smiled.

"We thought that the flower might be the reason that you were sick, so I asked Sesshomaru to bring it back and see if you felt better." Kagome looked back at Sesshomaru.

"I'm not sure if the flower is the reason if I'm sick, but I'll try. Could I please have it?"

Sesshomaru tossed her the flower.

Kagome picked up the flower and held it for a minute.

She was surprised when she felt her strength slowly returning to her. Her stomach settled and her headache went away.

"Mama, do you feel any better?" Kagome looked over at Shippo.

"Actually, I do." Sesshomaru growled when he heard this. He promised that he would let her keep it if she needed it to feel better.

Rin jumped down from Au-Un and ran over to Kagome. She sat next to her.

"How are you feeling?" Kagome was a little surprised.

"Better. You're Rin, right?"

"Yes, but I don't know you're name." Kagome smiled.

"I'm Kagome." Rin suddenly got an idea.

"Kagome, you saved my life twice. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Kagome stared at Rin. She didn't want to be repaid.

"Sorry Rin, but you don't need to repay me. There isn't anything I need right now." Rin looked disappointed.

"All right then. Lord Sesshomaru, should we leave now?" Sesshomaru turned and flew away on his youkai cloud. Rin quickly hopped onto Au-Un and followed him.

Kagome watched them go and slowly stood. "Kagome, are you sure you can stand yet?" Kagome smiled at Sango and nodded.

"I'm fine. No worries. Is there a hot spring nearby?" Shippo nodded.

"It's right beyond those trees." Shippo pointed where the hot springs were.

"Thanks. See you guys later." Kagome grabbed her backpack and walked into the forest.

"Mama seems a lot better."

"Yes. I hope Kagome stays that way. It would be unfortunate if she became sick again." Sango turned to Miroku.

"Kagome is strong. She'll be fine, so long as she has the flower with her."

oOo

Kagome walked until she found the hot springs. It was a small pool with rocks surrounding it like a protective shield. _Perfect. _

Kagome set her backpack down and removed her clothes. She went into the water and sighed as the water hit her nerves and relaxed her.

The hot springs always made Kagome feel better. The hot water against her skin made her feel like nothing else mattered.

Kagome began thinking about Inuyasha. He had left the group, after being in it for so long. Kagome thought it was because of the flower. She realized that she had left it at camp. _Oh well. _

_Inuyasha . . . why did you have to leave? Kikyo is dead, but after three years, you still love her. _

_I was hoping so badly that we could at least have a relationship before you took off like that. _

_And then there's Sesshomaru. He could touch the flower, but why? He couldn't be my mate. The only human he cares for is Rin. He's never shown any affection for me. _

_But, no other person could touch the flower. Why does my life have to be this confusing? _

Kagome took some of her shampoo and began washing her hair. She continued to think about her life, but mostly her family. She hadn't seen them for months. She was always busy.

There were several shards left to collect. And after that, they had to destroy the jewel. Kagome had heard that the only way to destroy it was by using a pure wish on it.

Kagome already knew what pure wish she would use to destroy the jewel. It would make everyone else happy, even if she wasn't. For the wish to be pure, she had to make a wish that someone else would benefit from.

She knew what wish Inuyasha would use if he had the jewel. He would bring Kikyo back, but that would be a selfish wish, and would taint the jewel.

Kagome couldn't let him have the jewel. She would take it and wish on it, so it would disappear forever.

Of course, that might not happen for years. It had been three years already. _What happens if I'm too old to try and hunt for the jewel anymore? _Kagome finished her bath and walked back to camp.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all sleeping. Kagome crept into her sleeping bag and pulled Shippo closer. Kagome decided to worry about things later.

-End-

Hi! Well, we're up to chapter eight. I'm happy with how far this story had gone. I thought I'd only get to chapter two before I called it quits because people weren't reviewing. But luckily, I have wonderful readers who review to tell me what they think! Please continue to do so! I love getting reviews! I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as possible. Again, with school, that's hard. I have two or three projects to work on, so it'll be hard. But please continue to read and review! Catch ya later!


	9. Discoveries

Kagome woke up the next morning when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Wake up Mama." Kagome sat up and saw Shippo next to her.

"Good morning Shippo. Is it time for breakfast?" Kagome looked around and saw Sango by the fire.

Sango noticed her and smiled. "Morning. How are you feeling?"

Kagome smiled and sat by the fire. "I'm feeling much better. Why are you making breakfast?"

"I thought you might still be sick, so I caught some fish to eat." Kagome nodded and grabbed her bag. She began searching through it, but she couldn't find what she wanted.

"Kagome, what are you looking for?" Miroku dropped the herbs that he had found earlier and sat next to Kagome.

"The flower. I put it in here last night when I came back from my bath." Kagome continued searching for a few minutes. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Kagome pulled out the flower. To everyone's dismay, it was brown and shriveled.

"The flower must have died." Kagome held it in her hand and looked it over.

"But Mama, without the flower, wouldn't you get sick again?" Kagome tried to find something that might show what was wrong.

"Look at this." Kagome showed the flower to everyone else. There was a single petal that was still healthy.

"Is the flower still alive?" Sango took a closer look at the flower.

"I got sick when the flower was taken away, so wouldn't I be even sicker if it's dying?"

"We can't be sure that it's dying. The flower might be trying to tell you something." Miroku used his robe to grab the flower, so he wouldn't be shocked.

Miroku carefully inspected it. Surprisingly, a few of the flower petals became healthy, and the stem turned green.

"Look at that. The flower became healthier when Miroku grabbed it." Sango did the same as Miroku and took the flower. It became as unhealthy as before.

"Why is it doing that?" Kagome took a look at the flower.

"I think that the flower is trying to search for Kagome's mate." Everyone turned to Miroku.

"Why do you say that?" Miroku took the flower from Sango. It became healthier again.

"The flower became healthier when I took it, but it was unhealthy when Sango and Kagome held it. I believe that it's searching for the male that is Kagome's mate, and since I am male, it became healthy as a sign that it's closer to Kagome's mate."

"Wouldn't that mean that you're my mate?" Miroku laughed.

"No, I'm saying that a male is your mate, so the flower became healthy when I held it. But it isn't completely healthy, which means that I'm not Kagome's mate."

"Can I try and hold it?" Miroku nodded and held the flower out to Shippo. Shippo grabbed the flower with his sleeve. The flower became even healthier.

"I don't believe this. It's so strange."

"I don't think so, Sango. Maybe it's healthier with Shippo because my mate is a youkai." Shippo looked the flower over.

"Mama, I think I should tell you something. I think that Sess-" Miroku covered Shippo's mouth.

"Shippo, I don't think that you should tell Kagome that."

"What's wrong? Why can't he tell me?" Miroku took the flower from Shippo and gently put it on the ground.

"Sango, keep Kagome company while I take Shippo." Miroku stood and took Shippo to the forest.

Miroku set Shippo on the ground. "Why couldn't I tell Mama about Sesshomaru?!"

"Shippo, be quiet." Miroku bent down near Shippo. "I think that it's best if Kagome doesn't know. If my suspicions are right, if Kagome knows that Sesshomaru is her mate, then she won't feel comfortable about it."

"What do you mean?" Miroku sighed.

"Inuyasha left her. She would feel badly if she thought she was supposed to go with Sesshomaru. She would feel as if she was betraying Inuyasha."

"Who cares about him?"

"Shippo, Kagome probably still has feelings for Inuyasha. And think about it. How would you feel if you were friends with a girl that you knew you would be spending the rest of your life with, and you weren't ready?" Shippo thought for a minute.

"I'd probably feel shy and nervous around her. I'd be so focused on the fact that we were going to be mates, that I wouldn't get to know her well enough."

"Exactly. Kagome would feel nervous around Sesshomaru, instead of being herself. So, we mustn't tell her that we think he could be her mate. The outcome wouldn't be good." Shippo nodded his head.

"I understand."

oOo

Sesshomaru walked through the quiet forest, followed by Rin and Jaken.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what's wrong?" Sesshomaru ignored Rin. He hadn't talked since he gave the flower back to Kagome.

_I need that flower. Why did I agree to give the flower back? I could have said no to Rin. But, it can't be changed now. _

_I've got this strange feeling. I feel like I should go back to the girl. Something isn't right. _

"My lord, there's a youkai village up ahead." Sesshomaru stopped and looked where Jaken was pointing.

There was a small village ahead of them. Sesshomaru could smell the youkai that lived there.

"Can we stop there?" Sesshomaru thought about it for a minute. He needed more information on the strange flower.

"All right." The group walked to the village.

Youkai were everywhere. It was similar to a human village. There were shops, houses, and a field where crops were grown.

Sesshomaru recognized the village. They were in the western territory, and Sesshomaru had been to all of the villages in the area at least once.

The youkai stopped and bowed when they saw Sesshomaru. Every one of them had deep respect for him. Sesshomaru was a good ruler, and even though he wasn't friendly, he made sure his subjects had what they needed.

The leader of the village came up to him. "My lord, why do you come to my humble village?"

Sesshomaru eyed the youkai. "I need to find out about a flower called the Flower of Fate."

The village leader smiled and nodded. "Of course. Why don't you come to my home? I'll tell you everything you want to know." The village leader led the way, and Sesshomaru and his group followed.

The village leader came to a large house and held the door open for Sessshomaru. Sesshomaru walked in, followed by Rin and Jaken. Au-Un decided to stay outside, but he could hear everything in the house just fine.

The village leader led them all to a large room filled with extravagant furniture. Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken sat down in front of a table. "Allow me to get you some tea." The village leader left the room and came back with a four cups of tea. He handed them each a cup and sat down.

"Now, what would you like to know?"

Sesshomaru took a sip of tea. "As I said before, I need to know about the Flower of Fate. I am only aware that a female youkai finds it when she is about to come upon her mate."

"Yes, of course. I'll tell you everything I know. My mate found a Flower of Fate when she was young. She and I met only a few months later. She and I were the only ones who could touch it."

Sesshomaru was becoming impatient. "I do not need to hear your life story."

The village leader nodded. "I understand. From what I have experienced, the Flower of Fate is special. Although there are many, each one is different in shape and size, and each one has at least one aspect of the male who will mate the female that finds it."

The village leader reached for a nearby box and opened it. Inside was a small flower, about the size of a ladybug. It was bright orange, and it had large spikes on it. The village leader took the flower from the box.

"This is the flower that my mate found. As you can see, it has an orange color, like my hair. That's how she found me. Most female youkai know that part of the flower resembles their mate."

Sesshomaru took another sip of his tea. He hadn't known about this. The flower that he had seen was the same color as his crescent moon mark. _And the female has it. _Sesshomaru pushed the thoughts away. He refused to believe that the human female was his mate.

"What if a human female finds it?" The village leader was caught by surprise. He had been happily chatting away until Sesshomaru had interrupted him.

"A human? I've never heard of that happening. Let me think . . . oh, I did hear of one human female who found a Flower of Fate. She ended up mating a youkai, but I don't know what happened after that."

Sesshomaru thought about this. All of the evidence pointed to Kagome being his mate. It all matched. Sesshomaru couldn't believe this at all. He couldn't be destined to spend his life with a weak human.

But her aura had been strong when he had seen her last, even when she was ill. And she was older now. Sesshomaru remembered her looks. She was good looking, for a human. She had a full figure, with curves in all the right places. Her hair was long, and it looked soft to touch. Her eyes were the nicest shade of blue.

Sesshomaru growled. Although the miko was a good candidate for a mate, she would produce hanyou children. Sesshomaru wouldn't allow his blood go into a hanyou child. His father had already done it, and that had shamed the family enough.

"My lord?" Sesshomaru looked up. "Are you all right?"

"I am fine. I was merely thinking."

-End-

Finally! Sorry it took me forever, but here's chapter nine! Don't you think Sesshomaru is so stuck up? Just kidding. As Sesshomaru finds out more about the flower, so does Kagome. Next chapter I'm going to reveal just what happened to Inuyasha, because I know I can't just drop him from the story. And yes, I know Kagome's eyes are brown. I don't know why some people think they're blue, but I like the idea. Please review. It would make me so happy. See ya later! Bye!


	10. Rin Meets a Friend, or Not

Inuyasha sniffed around for Kikyo's scent. He couldn't find her anywhere.

When he had left the group, Inuyasha had gone searching for Kikyo. He knew they could find the rest of the jewel shards, and then he could bring Kikyo back to life, and they would have a happy life together.

Inuyasha continued on his search. _Stupid Miroku. It's not my fault that Kagome is weak, and I was just pointing it out. He didn't need to yell at me. I'll be better of without them anyway. Kikyo is much stronger than Kagome. We'll complete the jewel and have our lives back. _

Inuyasha smiled when he finally caught the scent of graveyard soil. It was Kikyo.

Inuyasha quickly rushed off to follow the scent. It was coming from the mountains.

Even at top speed, Inuyasha didn't cover much distance, and he began thinking about things that he didn't want to think about.

_Why did Sesshomaru want that flower? Kagome is supposed to use it to find her mate. And how could he take from her when no one else could touch it? Must've used his sleeve to hold it or something. _

_What do I care? Doesn't matter to me if Kagome can't find her stupid mate. I almost feel sorry for the person who mates her. If she gets a mate, that is. _

_Kagome has been on my case since I can remember. She's always arguing with me. Or she was. Why couldn't she just let me make decisions? She always had to stand up for herself and that stupid kit. Nobody in the feudal era acts like that. They listen when they're told to. _

_I'm glad I left. I just wish I could've gotten rid of this dumb necklace. Kagome can't 'sit' me if she isn't around, but it's annoying to have to wear the stupid thing all the time. _

Inuyasha stopped to rest. It was almost sunset, and it would be dark soon. Inuyasha growled and decided to make camp for the night.

He sat next to a tree and waited. Tonight was the night of the new moon. He would become a human tonight.

As the sun set, Inuyasha felt his change. His hair turned black, and his claws and fangs became normal human teeth and nails.

Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga. He would need it's protection until he returned to normal.

The transformation ceased, and Inuyasha was a full human. Inuyasha tried to stay awake so he wouldn't be killed. He couldn't afford for that to happen.

The hours passed by slowly. Inuyasha was bored out of his mind. He remembered a song that Kagome had taught him, and he began singing it in his head. He couldn't sing it out loud, and he might attract attention if he did.

Inuyasha continued until the song was finished. Kagome had always been singing it.

Inuyasha suddenly heard a noise and stood. The bushes rustled. Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga tightly. Any youkai who tried to touch Tetsusaiga would be incinerated.

A girl fell out of the bushes. The girl was human, eleven or twelve.

Inuyasha stopped panicking. "What do you want?" The girl looked up.

Rin didn't recognize Inuyasha in his human form. "My name is Rin. I was just trying to find a place away from Lord Sesshomaru." Inuyasha cringed. That meant that Sesshomaru was probably nearby. "What's your name?"

Inuyasha stared at the girl. She didn't know who he was. Inuyasha remembered that she traveled with Sesshomaru, but this girl had never met him.

"My name isn't important to you." Rin looked him over. He looked like the youkai that had been with Kagome.

"Why are you out here alone?" Inuyasha didn't answer. He didn't like kids.

"I'm looking for somebody. Why don't you go away?" Rin pouted.

"You don't have to be so mean. I'm just trying to be friendly. It's no wonder that you're traveling alone." Inuyasha was about to snap back at her, but he took in what she had said. He was alone because he was cruel. Was that why the others didn't like him? He was cruel?

Inuyasha shook his head. He was just truthful. He was never cruel. He just pointed out things that other people were too nice to admit.

Rin stood and began walking away. "It's people like you that get on my nerves. You can be so mean. Lord Sesshomaru doesn't talk much, but at least he doesn't insult people when they try to be friendly." Rin stormed off. Inuyasha huffed and sat back by the tree.

_Stupid girl. She sounds like Kagome. 'You're so mean!' Forget her! The only woman I need is Kikyo. Why bother with anyone else? _

Inuyasha continued to wait for morning. That night, nothing else but his own thoughts disturbed Inuyasha.

oOo

Sesshomaru waited patiently for Rin to return. She had run off earlier. In the meantime, Sesshomaru thought about what the village leader had said.

The Flower of Fate was found by a female youkai so she could find her mate. The flower had an aspect that was similar to the female's mate. No one but the female and her mate could touch the flower. And the flower always looked different.

Kagome had the flower. Although she was human, she had found it. Sesshomaru had no more doubts that her flower was the Flower of Fate. The flower was the same color as his crescent moon mark. Only he and Kagome could touch it. Everything matched up. Kagome was, no doubt, his mate.

Sesshomaru growled. He had never thought about mating her, since she had always been with his brother. She had been the first female to ever stand up to him. Sesshomaru had assumed that she and his brother were going to be mates, since Inuyasha had protected her from the moment he had first attacked them.

Sesshomaru thought the human race was inferior, but he had rescued Rin. Sesshomaru had always pinned the blame on Tensaiga for that, but now that he thought about it, Rin's kindness toward him had swayed him to save her.

No other human had ever treated him like that. They had always run, or attacked him and met their death. When Rin had tried to help him, he had felt a strange feeling, as if he didn't want her to leave.

Sesshomaru had felt that feeling when Rin had died. That was why he had saved her.

Was his brother's wench like that? Was she different from other humans, like Rin was?

_She stood up to me. She fired an arrow at me, when any other human would have backed down. Rin didn't run, but tried to help me. The female, Kagome, has never helped me, but she didn't seem to object much when I took the flower. _

Sesshomari heard a rustle and saw Rin enter the camp. "Where were you?"

Rin sat by the fire and looked at Sesshomaru. "I met a very rude man." Rin turned back to the fire and warmed herself by it.

As the time passed by, Rin became tired and eventually went to sleep, followed by Au-Un and Jaken.

Sesshomaru sighed, finally able to enjoy the quiet.

oOo

Kagome tossed and turned in her sleeping bag. After today's travels, everyone had set up camp and gone to sleep, but Kagome couldn't sleep at all. She was thinking about the recent events.

Kagome turned over again and saw the flower near her sleeping bag. She reached out and picked it up. It was still brown and shriveled, with the single healthy petal on it.

Kagome began looking over the facts. _This is the Flower of Fate. Usually, a female youkai finds this type of flower when she is about to come upon her mate. Only the female and her mate can touch the flower. _

_If what Miroku says is true, then my mate is probably a male youkai. The only other person who could touch the flower was Sesshomaru. He's a male youkai, but he couldn't be my mate. He hates humans, except for Rin. We barely know each other. _

_But what other male youkai could be my mate? Koga? No, he made a promise to Ayame that he would be her mate. She won't let him get out of that promise. _

_The only other person I can think of is Inuyasha, and he left the group to find Kikyo. He wouldn't want me as a mate anyway. I don't see how anyone would want me as a mate, with how ugly and weak I am. _

Kagome sighed and held the flower closer. Kagome had always been confident in her looks and abilities, but Inuyasha was always saying otherwise, so Kagome thought he must be telling the truth.

Kagome sat up and set the flower down. She reached for her bag and pulled out a photo album. It was full of pictures that she had taken over the years. Kagome opened it to the first section.

The first section was full of pictures of Inuyasha and herself. There were pictures of them fighting, sitting next to each other, and even one of them sleeping together.

Some of the pictures were in the modern era, taken by Kagome's family. Some were taken in the feudal era, taken by Miroku and Sango. Kagome had taught them what a camera was, and how to use it, but they still didn't understand how the pictures were made.

Kagome wiped her face before she started crying and turned to the next section.

The next section was of pictures from different battles. Although she was usually fighting, Kagome had managed to take a few pictures of some of their battles. There was one picture that Sango had taken of Kagome when she was confronting Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru had been fighting Inuyasha, and he had learned an attack that threw Inuyasha's attacks back at him, no matter what. Inuyasha had tried the Wind Scar, the Backlash Wave, and an attack with Red Tetsusaiga, but Sesshomaru had flung them all back at him.

Inuyasha had almost died, but Kagome had stepped in and started yelling at Sesshomaru. Then she had fired an arrow at him, but Sesshomaru had dodged it and flown away. Sango had taken the picture when Kagome had been yelling at him.

Afterwards, Sango had said that Kagome looked good next to Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha had fired back a snappy comment on Kagome's appearance in general.

Kagome looked at the picture. Sango was right, she did look good standing next to Sesshomaru, but Kagome was still convinced that she didn't look good at all.

Kagome turned to the next section. It was full of pictures of her family and friends. There were pictures of her modern friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. There were pictures of Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. There was one picture of Miroku groping Sango, and an after picture of Miroku with a hand print on his face.

Sango had taken a picture of Kagome when she was hugging Shippo. It had been after Kagome had agreed with Shippo that he could be her adoptive son. Shippo had been so happy that he had jumped into Kagome's arms.

Kagome smiled. Shippo made a wonderful son, but Kagome still wished she had children of her own.

After the jewel was finished and Naraku was defeated, Sango and Miroku would go back to the youkai slayers village, and Miroku would make sure that Sango had as many children as possible.

Kagome had wanted to start a family with Inuyasha, but she had known her chance was gone when Inuyasha had declared his love for Kikyo in front of them all. He had promised that he and Kikyo would be together for the rest of their lives after the jewel was completed.

Kagome turned to the next section. It had the pictures of their enemies. There was a picture of Kanna, Hakudoshi, and Kagura, but her picture had a question mark next to it, since they thought that she was against Naraku.

There was one picture of Naraku, but Kagome had slipped when she was taking it, so it only showed his leg and part of his hand.

There was also a picture of Sesshomaru that Inuyasha had insisted Kagome put in the enemy section of the album. It was a picture of him when he was flying in on his youkai cloud. Kagome had zoomed in with her camera to take a close-up picture. Looking at the picture, Kagome noticed Sesshomaru's good features. His hair looked soft, and his markings accented his face nicely. Kagome couldn't tell very well, but he looked like he might have a good muscular definition.

Kagome closed the album and set it aside. She had to try and sleep so she would have energy to continue their hunt for the shards tomorrow.

-End-

Hi! I just need to clear something up. Last chapter, when Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were holding the flower, they were using their sleeves to hold it so they wouldn't get shocked. One person was confused about that, so I thought I'd clear it up. Thanks for reading so far! Usually, when I write stories, they become a little rushed, but I'm trying my best not to do that! I'm trying my best to take it slow and go at a normal pace. Again, thanks for reading! You've all been wonderful! Thank you for all the reviews I've received! I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as I can. Please review! Thanks, bye-bye!


	11. Traveling With a Youkai Lord

"Kagome? Wake up!" Kagome gasped and sat up.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Kagome saw Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo seated around her. "What is it?" Everyone looked worried.

"Mama, I think you should look in a mirror." Confused, Kagome reached into her bag and pulled out a compact mirror.

Everyone covered their ears as Kagome screamed as loud as she could.

When she was done, everyone let go of their ears and looked at Kagome. She was staring at the mirror, and panicking.

"What's going on? Why do I look like this?" Kagome looked in the mirror again. It was true. Her ears, once normal human ears, were now pointed like a youkai.

Kagome put the mirror down and studied her features. Not only were her ears pointed, but her nails had grown long and pointed, and she had fangs. Kagome swore she also felt taller.

"Kagome, calm down." Kagome turned to Miroku.

"Calm down?! I'm a youkai! Why should I calm down?!" Shippo was brave enough to approach his mother.

"Mama, there's one more thing. Look underneath your bangs." Kagome picked up the mirror and lifted her bangs. There, in the center of her forehead, was a crescent moon.

"What?!" Kagome stood and began pacing. "Why do I have a crescent moon on my forehead? Why am I a youkai? What's going on?" Kagome continued to panic, while Sango stood and tried to calm her down.

"Mama!" Kagome stopped and looked at Shippo. "You have to calm down. Yelling and panicking won't do any good." Kagome nodded and took slow, deep breaths.

"All right, I'm calm. But why am I a youkai? This doesn't make sense." Kagome tried to figure out why this had happened.

"Sango, Shippo, may I talk to you in private?" Sango and Shippo both nodded. "We'll be back in a few minutes." Miroku, Sango, and Shippo left the campsite until they thought they were out of earshot.

"Why do you need to talk?" Miroku looked at both Sango and Shippo.

"You both agree with me that Sesshomaru might be Kagome's mate, right?" They both nodded.

"We've covered that much." Miroku sighed before going on.

"I think that Kagome should start traveling with Sesshomaru."

"What?!" Sango and Shippo both objected.

"Shush. Look, I don't know about you two, but I think that Kagome's transformation, especially the crescent moon on her forehead, is proof that Kagome and Sesshomaru are supposed to be mates."

"Miroku, I'm sure of that too, but Kagome doesn't have to leave the group, does she?"

"I'm afraid so. If she and Sesshomaru are supposed to be mates, it would be best that she stayed with him."

"But Inuyasha had already left. We can't split up our group like this."

"Sango, I don't want Kagome to leave either, but I believe this would be best for her."

"What about Shippo?" Shippo jumped at hearing his name.

"Shippo will go with her."

"What?! Are you going to leave me next?"

"Sango, that's ridiculous. I won't leave you."

"Can't we wait until we finish the jewel?" Miroku sighed.

"No. Kagome found the flower, meaning that she would come upon her mate **soon**. It would probably be best if she went with him as soon as possible."

"What will Kagome think?" Miroku paused.

"Kagome might have figured it out already, and if she has, then she will know why she has to go. If not, then we'll have to explain it to her."

"What will Sesshomaru think? He's not going to agree to this."

"Judging from what has happened, and his knowledge of the land, I would assume that Sesshomaru has al ready figured it out, and he will except the facts if he doesn't know."

"He won't mate with a human."

"Shippo, Kagome is no longer a human. She is a youkai, probably an Inu youkai."

"What about the jewel shards? Kagome is the only one who can sense them." Miroku stopped.

"I'm not sure. I suppose . . . we'll have to make due without her. Sesshomaru is stronger then us, and he probably has a better chance of defeating Naraku. We can try to collect jewel shards, and Kagome can try to collect them while she's with Sesshomaru. Trust me, it's the best thing for her." Sango and Shippo looked at each other, then back at Miroku.

"Miroku, you had better be right."

oOo

Kagome sighed and shifted uneasily. What were her friends talking about?

"What?!" Kagome turned her head at hearing Shippo and Sango's voices. She decided to ignore it.

Kirara sat in Kagome's lap and began purring. Kagome slowly began petting her.

"Kirara, what am I going to do? The flower is wilting, Sango, Shippo and Miroku are obviously keeping something from me, and I'm a youkai. What else could go wrong?" Kirara mewed.

Kagome sighed and tried to collect her thoughts.

_Now I'm sure of it. This crescent moon mark is proof that Sesshomaru and I are supposed to be mates. I don't know what else it could mean. _

_But why Sesshomaru, of all people? He's the most cold-hearted person I can think of, besides Naraku. _

_And if we're supposed to be mates, then how will I continue my hunt for the jewel? I'll probably have to go with Sesshomaru, and he won't let me hunt for shards. He doesn't like using them. _

Kagome continued to pet Kirara while she debated what to do. Kagome was sure that her friends had figured it out as well. There was plenty of proof that she and Sesshomaru were supposed to be together.

After a few minutes, Kagome heard rustling and saw her friends come back.

Sango, Shippo and Miroku sat next to her.

"Kagome, there is something we should tell you." Kagome shifted to face Miroku.

"What is it?" Miroku took a few deep breaths.

"Kagome, we think that you should start traveling with Sesshomaru." To their surprise, Kagome didn't scream, or anything else.

"Mama?" Kagome smiled and moved Kirara from her lap.

"You guys, I've already figured out that Sesshomaru is supposed to be my mate, and that I should start traveling with him. I would have figured it out earlier, but I denied it. I didn't think that Sesshomaru and I were compatible. But everything leads up to it. It only makes sense."

"Kagome, aren't you worried? What if Sesshomaru treats you badly?" Kagome smiled at Sango.

"I don't think the Flower of Fate would have put us together if he was going to be unkind to me. Yes, I'm not enthralled with the idea, but I should at least give it a try."

Everyone was surprised. This wasn't the reaction they had expected.

"Mama, I think that you've grown up a lot." Kagome picked up Shippo and cuddled him.

"Thank you, Shippo. Shippo, do you want to stay with Miroku and Sango?" Shippo shook his head.

"No, never. I want to stay with you. I think Rin and I could be good friends." Kagome smiled again and kissed Shippo on the forehead.

"Now all we have to do is find Sesshomaru. I wonder where he is . . . "

oOo

Rin groaned. They had been walking since dawn, and now Sesshomaru had told them all to go the other way.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going?" Sesshomaru didn't answer.

He was looking for Kagome.

Sesshomaru knew that Kagome had to be his mate, but first he had to get to know her better, and for that he needed her to be with him.

Sesshomaru wanted Kagome to start traveling with him. He had no emotional attachments to her, but he needed to earn her trust.

She might have figured out that she and Sesshomaru were to be mates, but if not, then Sesshomaru was prepared to drag her back with him.

She wouldn't like the idea of leaving her friends, and her friends, especially Inuyasha, would defend her.

Sesshomaru needed her trust, so he would try not to use force. He himself had mixed feelings about this.

He didn't like her, but Kagome was supposed to be his mate, and Sesshomaru would make the best of it, which would be hard for him.

As they headed further west, Sesshomaru began picking up the scents of the Kagome's friends. But his brother's scent was missing, and so was Kagome's. But there was another strange, but familiar scent.

Sesshomaru broke into a run, and Rin and Jaken were easily left behind.

He continued until he was in a small clearing. In it sat the monk, the slayer, the fox kit, and another youkai.

"Sesshomaru?" the youkai stood and stepped toward him. Sesshomaru recognized her immediately. It was Kagome, but it confused him. Had she turned into a youkai?

"Woman, why do you resemble a youkai?" Kagome stepped a little closer.

"Sesshomaru, I'm not sure if you know this, but the flower the you took from me and gave back, was the Flower of Fate, and I think-"

"I know. I have figured it out. I came to bring you back with me so you could start traveling with myself and my companions." Kagome wasn't surprised to hear this.

"Sesshomaru, I just need you to do something for me." Sesshomaru eyed her. Kagome reached into her bag and carefully took out the Flower of Fate. "I need you to hold this."

"Why do you want me to hold a wilted flower?"

"It's the Flower of Fate. It's wilted, but I think that if my mate holds it, it'll return to normal."

Sesshomaru reluctantly took the flower. To his surprise, the wilted flower began changing. The petals became healthy and returned to their normal color. The stem was strong and green once again.

"Mama's flower is healthy!" Kagome watched as the flower went back to the way it had been when she found it.

"So, it's true. Sesshomaru is really my mate. All right, Sesshomaru, I'll go with you, but I need a chance to get my things and say good-bye." Sesshomaru looked at the flower another moment.

One of the petals fell off. Then, one by one, the petals of the flower fell to the ground, until their was only one left.

"The flower!" Kagome ran up to Sesshomaru, but he backed up. He wanted a chance to look at it himself.

The single petal that was left had something on it. Sesshomaru pulled it off and tossed the stem aside. He lifted the petal to his face.

On the petal, their was a white crescent moon with a smaller black crescent moon. The white moon had Sesshomaru's name on it, and the black moon had Kagome's name on it.

"Sesshomaru, may I see it?" Sesshomaru handed the petal to Kagome, who gasped at what she saw.

"Kagome, what is it?" Kagome stared at the petal for a minute.

"The petal has markings on it. It's nothing. I'll get my things and we can leave." Kagome closed her bag tight and pulled it onto her back. She made sure her bow and quiver of arrows were safely secure. Kagome approached Miroku.

"Miroku, you've been very nice over the years. I know we'll probably see each other again, but I just want to say that I'm happy that you stood up for me. Inuyasha got what he deserved."

"I'll miss you, Kagome." Kagome turned to Sango.

"Sango, you've been my best friend and my sister. I hope we can meet up again soon." Kagome and Sango hugged tightly.

"I'll think of you every day." Kagome let go and looked down at Kirara.

"Kirara, you've been wonderful. You did me many favors that I hope I can repay someday." Kirara mewed and rubbed against Kagome's legs.

Kagome picked up Shippo and turned to Sesshomaru. "I'm ready."

"Why do you have to kit with you?"

"He's my son." Sesshomaru was slightly confused, but he didn't show it.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome held Shippo tighter.

"I adopted him. He's coming with me, or I don't come." Sesshomaru thought about it, and began walking away.

Kagome took this as a sign of agreement. She and Shippo waved good-bye and began following Sesshomaru.

They walked along in silence. Kagome walked behind Sesshomaru. Shippo would've talked to her, but Sesshomaru scared him into silence.

Sesshomaru was at a loss. He needed Kagome's trust if she was going to be his mate, but to do that, he would need to talk to her, and that would be difficult.

From a young age, Sesshomaru had been taught that emotions often got in the way of politics when ruling the land, and he had blocked out all emotions, except for anger.

And to start a conversation, emotions were an important part, they helped think of things to talk about. Sesshomaru was stuck.

"Woman, come here." Kagome jumped at hearing him speak, but trotted up to him.

"What is it?"

"Tell me about yourself." Kagome paused.

"What should I tell you?" Sesshomaru thought about it.

"Tell me about why you adopted the kit." Kagome managed a small smile.

"When I started traveling with Inuyasha-"

"Do not say his name in my presence." His demand caught Kagome off guard. She paused for a moment.

"All right. When I started traveling with your brother, Shippo tried to take a jewel shard from us. We stopped him, and he told us that he needed it to take revenge on the Thunder Brothers for killing his father. They were two powerful youkai. We agreed to help, but they kidnaped me. Shippo told your brother, and he came to save me. He defeated the Thunder Brothers and Shippo ended up staying with us. I adopted him a while back, since I treated him like my son most of the time anyway." Sesshomaru listened to Kagome talk, and he cursed when she finished. He was not adept at the art of conversation.

"I understand." They walked in silence for another minute or so.

"Why does Rin travel with you?" Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome. He didn't want to talk, but she gave him no choice.

"Rin tried to help me when my brother used the Wind Scar on me. Tensaiga had transported me to a forest where she found me. She didn't help me, but she still tried. When I healed, Rin was killed by wolves. I decided to test Tensaiga, and I revived her. She travels with me by her choice."

Kagome listened intently. When he finished, Kagome was puzzled. The story didn't seem to fit him. It didn't sound like Sesshomaru.

"Where are we going after we reach Rin and Jaken?"

"I'm hunting Naraku. We will search for him."

The rest of the walk was silent. Neither Kagome nor Sesshomaru could think of anything more to say.

After fifteen minutes or so, they finally came to where Sesshomaru had left Rin and Jaken.

"My lord, you have returned." Jaken noticed Kagome and Shippo. "Why are they here?"

"They are going to travel with us from now on. I suggest that you are kind to them, Jaken." Jaken knew what he meant.

"Of course, I will treat them with utmost respect."

"Kagome!" Rin ran over and hugged her.

"Rin? How did you recognize me?" Rin looked up.

"You've saved my life twice. I could never forget you, but why do you look like a youkai?"

"I turned into a youkai recently. Don't worry about it." Rin smiled and let go.

"This is wonderful. We can have so much fun together."

"Rin, I would like you to leave them alone." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru.

"It's fine, I don't mind."

"We have to leave now. Ah-Un, get up." The dragon woke and stood. He looked over and saw Kagome. He recognized her right away.

Ah-Un walked over and nuzzled Kagome. "I remember you. You're the one that made me feel better the other night." Sesshomaru heard this, but he decided to ignore it.

Rin climbed onto Ah-Un and Jaken stepped next to Sesshomaru. "Kagome, are you going to walk?"

"Yes, but I need to wake up Shippo." Shippo had fallen asleep on the way here. "Shippo, wake up." Shippo opened his eyes and sat up.

"Where are we?" Kagome set Shippo on the ground.

"We're starting to travel. Rin is on Ah-Un if you want to talk to her." Shippo saw Rin and smiled.

"Hi Rin. How are you?" Rin watched as Shippo climbed onto Ah-Un.

"I'm fine. What's you name?"

"My name is Shippo." The kids started a conversation as Ah-Un started following Sesshomaru and Jaken. Kagome walked behind, to keep an eye on Shippo.

It took a while for Kagome to adjust to the pace. Sesshomaru moved quickly, with long strides. Ah-Un and Jaken were used to his pace, but Kagome wasn't. Even Inuyasha had never walked this fast.

As Kagome struggled to keep up, Sesshomaru noticed that she was lagging behind.

"Woman, ride Ah-Un if you are going to be that slow." Kagome ignored Sesshomaru and continued on foot.

"I can walk on my own, thank you." Sesshomaru heard the sarcasm in her voice and growled. Sesshomaru had low tolerance for sarcasm.

Jaken was curious as to why Kagome and Shippo were with them. "My lord, why are those two here?" Sesshomaru didn't answer. "My lord?"

"Jaken, why they are here doesn't concern you." Jaken flinched and decided to stay quiet.

"So Shippo, why are you and Kagome traveling with us?" Rin and Shippo were talking in whispers.

"I'm not sure I should tell you. It's kind of between Mama and Sesshomaru."

"Then why do you know about it?"

"Mama trusts me to keep her secrets." Rin was smarter then to let it go that easily.

"Can you please tell me? I want to know, and I won't tell anybody." Shippo thought about it for a minute.

"No, I don't think so." Rin frowned.

"Why not?"

"It's none of your business. Can we talk about something else?"

"Okay. Why is Kagome a youkai?" Shippo was getting tired of this.

"That's Mama's secret too."

"All right, why is Kagome taking care of you? Don't you have real parents?" Shippo looked down.

"My parents are both dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that." Shippo nodded and looked up at her.

"Mama adopted me a little while ago. I can take care of myself mostly, but she makes sure I'm safe and protects me."

"My parents are dead too. Lord Sesshomaru saved me, and he takes care of me the same way." Rin and Shippo both realized how much they had in common.

Kagome watched as the two children talked. They were getting along great. Kagome wished it were the same with Sesshomaru. She found it hard to believe that they were supposed to be mates.

Kagome took the petal from her backpack and looked at it. It was the last petal left of her flower. Kagome stared at the marking on the petal. There was no doubt that she and Sesshomaru were supposed to be mates, but he didn't seem like the right person for her.

She fingered the petal between her fingers. It was soft, almost like silk.

_Why was I matched with Sesshomaru, of all the people there are in the world? I've never liked him, and he's never liked me. I feel like I'm betraying Inuyasha. _

_But Inuyasha betrayed me. He deserves it. I wonder where he is. He's probably cuddling with that clay pot. _

Kagome was surprised with herself. She didn't usually think that badly of people.

Sesshomaru sensed a wave of anger, and then astonishment coming from Kagome.

He glanced back at her, but she seemed preoccupied with the petal from her Flower of Fate. Sesshomaru wondered why the flower had fallen apart, when the village leader he had met still had his flower in perfect condition. He also wondered why Kagome was a youkai, but it was better than her being human.

Sesshomaru knew that he would have to learn to like Kagome. If he didn't, it would be impossible to win her over.

In the youkai world, each youkai had to perform a special ritual in order to claim a mate. It wasn't a ritual so much as a series of tasks to win over the female.

Step one was to convince the female to let him try and win her over. As far as Sesshomaru was concerned, that was done.

Step two was to show the female that he could provide and care for her. He had to protect her until she was sure that he could take care of her when she had pups.

Sesshomaru had to complete step two before he could move to step three. Step two would be easy enough, it was step three that would give him a headache.

Step three was to show the female that he loved her.

-End-

Hey! Sorry this chapter took so long! I wanted to make it extra long to celebrate this story getting 100 reviews! I'm so happy! I didn't think I would get this many reviews! I would like to thank all of those who reviewed for making this possible! I know, I'm being overly dramatic. I like to do that. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. My new goal for reviews is 200! It would mean so much to me of you could help me with that goal! I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as possible. Bye!


	12. A Nightmare

Kagome laid out her sleeping bag next to the fire. After walking for the entire day, everyone had settled down to go to sleep. Kagome hadn't said a word to Sesshomaru.

"What's that?" Rin pointed to the sleeping bag.

"Oh, that's a special bed that Shippo and I sleep in." Rin watched in fascination as Kagome unzipped the bag so she could get in.

"Where's Sesshomaru?" Shippo came out of the trees holding a bundle of sticks. He put the sticks in the fire.

"Lord Sesshomaru always looks for Naraku by himself after camp is set up." Rin went over to the fire and checked to make sure their food hadn't burnt. "I wish we had more than mushrooms and berries to eat." Kagome heard Rin and thought of something.

"Rin, do you want to try some different food?" Rin looked over.

"What kind of food?" Kagome pulled out a lunch box from her backpack. Her mother had given it to her last time she was at home, and most of the food was still in it.

Kagome opened the lunch box and showed Rin. "Wow, that looks great!" Kagome set the box down and took out some plates. Soon, everyone was eating the food, except for Jaken, who didn't trust Kagome.

By the time they were finished, the mushrooms that had been cooking were done.

"I can't remember that last time I had grilled mushroom." Kagome gently took a stick off the fire and blew on the mushroom to cool it.

Rin eagerly bit into her mushroom, but it wasn't as good as Kagome's food.

Everyone ate their mushrooms and set the sticks aside. "Mama, are you okay?" Kagome looked up from the ground.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things." They heard a rustle in the bushes and saw as Sesshomaru walked into camp.

Sesshomaru sat a few feet away from the fire. "Where were you?" Sesshomaru looked over at Kagome.

"Go to sleep." Kagome sighed and laid down in her sleeping bag. Shippo crawled in with her.

"Good night Kagome." Rin climbed onto Ah-Un and closed her eyes.

"Good night Rin." Kagome made sure Shippo was comfortable, and closed her eyes.

It wasn't long before everyone was asleep, except for Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru almost never slept unless he needed it, which wasn't often. Sesshomaru only needed to rest his body, and his mind could stay awake.

_That woman. Why, of all the people I know, was my brother's wench chosen for me? _

_Then again, the kit said that she didn't belong to Inuyasha. He was not with her when I came to their camp. I was expecting to have to fight him. _

_She takes care of the kit as if he really was her son. The only other time I've seen that happen is when I adopted Rin, but it still isn't the same. She hugs the kit and smiles at him, like a real mother. _

Sesshomaru had never seen a female youkai take care of a child that wasn't hers. Most females would kill a child if it didn't have parents, so it wouldn't suffer. But Kagome had given Shippo a second chance.

Of course, Kagome had been human until recently, but most humans wouldn't adopt children either. If a human child lost it's parents, the villagers would leave the child to fend for itself.

Kagome was different from most humans. She had a caring nature that most humans and youkai didn't have, and even if they were caring, the top priority in a world like this was to survive and make sure that your children survived to carry on the family. Other children weren't of any concern.

Why had she adopted him? Sesshomaru had revived Rin, and he had come to terms with the fact that he had an emotional attachment to her, but it was more like he owed Rin for trying to help him. With Kagome, she took care of Shippo, even thought he hadn't helped her, or tried to.

With her caring nature, Kagome would make an excellent mother to her own pups. She had even become fast friends with Rin.

Sesshomaru found himself thinking about his childhood. His mother had never cared much about him. She had only cared about her position as Lady of the West, and she had been as mad as hell when her mate had betrayed her for a human.

His mother was another reason why Sesshomaru was so cold. He had never had a mother's love. Although his father had interacted with him more, he had not shown any love to him either.

Sesshomaru had always wondered why his father had left his mother for a human. Humans were weak, pathetic creatures. They produced hanyou children, and their children were weak as well.

Yet here was Sesshomaru, with his future mate, who had been a human all her life until recently.

But Sesshomaru couldn't be considering Kagome as his future mate, since he hadn't finished the mating ritual yet. He was still in step two. If Kagome rejected him for any reason, he would have to find someone else.

Sesshomaru sighed. He only sighed, or showed any emotion, when he was extremely stressed or deep in thought. Even then he tried not to show emotion.

A noise disturbed Sesshomaru from his thoughts. Kagome moaned and turned over. Her face was covered in sweat.

"Inu . . . Inuyasha . . ." Kagome shifted and whined. She was having a nightmare.

oOo

"Why? Why Kagome?" Inuyasha stared at Kagome across the field.

"Inuyasha, it's not my fault. The flower told me that Sesshomaru was my mate."

"Save it! I don't care about a stupid flower! You betrayed me!"

"What about Kikyo? You betrayed me with her!"

"It's not the same!" Kagome tried to step closer, but she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down and saw the blood that stained her shirt. Inuyasha had her blood on his claws.

"Inu . . . Inuyasha . . ." Kagome cried as she fell to the ground.

oOo

Kagome gasped and looked around. She was in her sleeping bag, in the camp. Sesshomaru was sitting next to her.

"You finally woke up, woman." Kagome sat up and looked at Sesshomaru. She felt her forehead. She had been sweating in her sleep, which only happened to Kagome when she had nightmares.

Kagome remembered the terrible nightmare that she had. "Inuyasha, I didn't betray you." Kagome didn't seem to be speaking to anyone.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry. I just had a nightmare. I didn't mean to disturb you." Kagome laid back down and closed her eyes, but Sesshomaru stayed next to her. Kagome couldn't fall asleep with him sitting there.

Eventually, Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at Sesshomaru.

"I'm sorry, but I can't fall asleep with you sitting there." Sesshomaru stood and moved back to his original spot without a word. Kagome sighed and went back to sleep.

oOo

Kagome packed up her things and quickly followed after everyone else. They had all had breakfast and were starting to travel again.

The forest was quiet as everyone walked along. Kagome walked behind Ah-Un again, watching Shippo and Rin talk.

Kagome thought about what had happened last night.

_That nightmare was terrible. Inuyasha was blaming me, saying that I betrayed him. Did I really betray him? And why was Sesshomaru sitting right next to me? Did he try to wake me up? _

Kagome looked ahead at Sesshomaru. He wasn't doing anything at the moment. Kagome shivered as a strong wind blew. Kagome was extremely tired. After falling asleep, nightmares had plagued her all night long, but she hadn't woken up until Rin had shaken her awake.

Kagome's pace slowed as she realized just how tired she was. Kagome slowed down to a slow walk, quickly falling behind the others.

Sesshomaru noticed that she was falling behind. Kagome was at least twenty feet behind now. Sesshomaru turned and walked up to Kagome and picked her up.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru placed Kagome onto Ah-Un, behind Rin and Shippo.

"You're too tired to walk. Stay on Ah-Un." Sesshomaru resumed his position at the front. Kagome was puzzled, but she decided not to ask Sesshomaru any more questions, since he probably wouldn't answer.

Kagome held tightly to Ah-Un. Unlike Rin and Shippo, who were small and could easily balance themselves on the dragon, Kagome was even taller than she used to be, and had a hard time sitting on Ah-Un. It was like riding a horse, but Kagome had never ridden a horse in her life.

"Mama, are you okay?" Kagome looked at Shippo and smiled.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Shippo watched his mother for another moment before turning back to Rin.

Kagome decided to take the chance she had and took off her shoes. She put them in her backpack and sighed. Her shoes, though Kagome hadn't noticed before, were starting become small on her. It felt good to take them off.

As the day wore on, everyone became increasingly bored. It was about midday when Rin decided to say something.

"Lord Sesshomaru, could we stop for lunch?" Sesshomaru stopped and turned to everyone else. They were all tired and hungry.

"Fine." Everyone sighed in relief and set up camp immediately.

Kagome put her shoes back on and sat on the grass. As a youkai, she had a high sense of smell, and Kagome was still getting used to it.

She smelled something familiar, but she couldn't place it. Kagome sniffed the air, and she figured out what it was.

"There's a hot spring nearby. Sesshomaru, may I go and take a bath?" Sesshomaru looked up.

"Why would you want to take a bath?"

"Please?" Sesshomaru mentally cursed.

"You may go, but don't be long." Kagome smiled.

"Thanks." Kagome took out two towels, shampoo, conditioner, and a new set of clothes from her backpack and hurried toward the hot spring.

-End-

Hi!!! I hope you liked this chapter. Kagome's trying to get used to being a youkai, and Sesshomaru has no idea how to talk to her! Kagome is in big trouble in the next chapter, but you'll have to wait to find out what it is! Please review and tell me what you thought! I'm having so much fun writing this! Please, please, please review! Well, I gotta go! See ya later, bye!


	13. Anger

Kagome settled into the water and sighed. It had been a while since she had taken a good bath. Kagome washed her hair, all of her bad thoughts leaving her mind. Baths were the best way for Kagome to relax.

"If only there were other ways to feel like this." Kagome suddenly remembered one thing that had made her feel as relaxed as this.

Inuyasha had been the only one to make her feel like this. When she had sat next to him, or talked to him, she had usually felt relaxed, until about a year ago, when he had declared his love for Kikyo, and started insulting her more than he had before. "Stupid Inuyasha! Sit!" Kagome remembered that he was not here, and she couldn't make him sit.

He still had the necklace, since Kagome had never taken it off. She wondered if he had been sat, despite the fact that he wasn't here.

Kagome washed her entire body until she was completely clean. She decided to stay in a little longer.

After a few minutes, Kagome was bored. She remembered a game that she had played as a child. When she had been little, she and her mother often took baths together, and sometimes she would try and hold her breath under water for as long as she could, to try and impress her mom.

Kagome hadn't done that in years, and Kagome wondered how long she could do it now. Kagome sucked in as much air as she could, and dove under the water.

oOo

Sesshomaru was becoming irritated. Kagome had been gone for over half-an-hour. He had told her not to be gone long.

"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru looked over at the fox kit. "Mama likes to take time with her baths. She doesn't usually care if she has to hurry." Sesshomaru didn't respond.

Shippo was a little worried himself, and he knew that Sesshomaru was angry. He hoped that his mother would come back soon.

"Why does your mom like long baths?" Shippo looked at Rin.

"I'm not sure. She's always been that way."

Sesshomaru had lost his patience. He was going to get Kagome. Sesshomaru stood and followed the path she had taken to the hot springs.

But to his dismay, Kagome's scent had disappeared. Her clothes, towels, and bath items were spread out around the spring, but Kagome was out of sight. Sesshomaru rushed to the water and looked in. There was a figure in the water. Without thinking, Sesshomaru reached in and pulled Kagome out by her arm.

Kagome had only been pulled out enough for her head to show, and she coughed out water. She had swallowed in on accident when Sesshomaru had grabbed her.

"Why did you do that?! I'm bathing!" Kagome tried to break free, but Sesshomaru wouldn't let go.

"What were you doing?!" Kagome looked up and shivered in fear when she saw the red seeping into his eyes.

"I was just playing a game." Kagome didn't move another muscle, afraid of what Sesshomaru would do.

"Game?! What kind of game involves drowning yourself?!" Sesshomaru tossed Kagome back in the water and turned around. "I expect you back at camp in five minutes, bitch!" Sesshomaru walked away from the hot spring. Kagome shuddered. She had never been so scared in all her life.

She remembered Sesshomaru's threat, and hastily dried herself and dressed. She gathered her things and ran as fast as she could back to camp.

When she got back, Rin and Shippo were eagerly waiting for her, and Sesshomaru was seated nearby.

Kagome slowly approached Sesshomaru, unsure of what to do.

oOo

Sesshomaru came back to the camp and sat in his previous spot. His blood was boiling, but it slowly returned to normal, and Sesshomaru realized that he had reacted in a way that he hadn't expected.

_Why did I react that way? She said she was only playing a game. But when I saw her in the water, my inner youkai took over. __**I took over because I thought something had happened to her. **__What do you want? Leave me alone. __**I'm only telling you the truth. She was under the water, and she had been gone so long, I thought that something had happened. And since I'm part of you, it means that you felt the same. **__Why did you make me yell at her? The goal is to gain her trust, but now she probably hates me more than ever. __**She needed to be taught a lesson. Her 'game' could have killed her, and since we're trying to make her our mate, she can't die. **_Sesshomaru couldn't argue with that logic.

The bushes rustled as Kagome entered camp. Everyone turned to look at her. Kagome saw Sesshomaru and slowly approached him.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome was nervous beyond control. What would he do?

"Woman, what kind of game were you playing?" Sesshomaru could feel his temper rising already.

"I just . . . wanted to see how long I could hold my breath in the water. I haven't done it since I was little, and I was curious so . . ." Kagome didn't know how to continue.

"From now on your baths will last ten minutes, and if you aren't finished by then, then I will drag you back to camp myself." Kagome nodded obediently.

"I'll make my baths short from now on." Sesshomaru stood and turned.

"We're going." He began walking away, and it wasn't long before everyone else was following him.

Kagome was sure to keep up this time. She didn't want to anger Sesshomaru any further.

_The way he reacted . . . it was so scary. His eyes were red. But why was he there anyway? Did he come to get me? I suppose I was bathing longer than he wanted me to. _

_Why did I let him push me around like that? If it were Inuyasha, I would have sat him. _

_But he isn't Inuyasha. I can't make him sit. He can kill me any time he wants, despite what the flower meant. _

Kagome, as hard as she was trying to keep up, found it hard to walk. Her legs were still shaking.

Sesshomaru felt the nervousness radiating off of Kagome. He had scared her to death. She was having a hard time keeping up because her legs were so shaky.

_Damn! I was hoping that she was getting used to me, and then I scared her so badly that she can't even walk properly. If I only had more experience with women, this might not be happening. __**Don't beat yourself up. You're protecting her because the mating ritual calls for it. It was a natural reaction. **__Be quiet. She probably doesn't even know what the mating ritual is, since she only became youkai recently, for an unknown reason. __**Then maybe you should tell her about it. **_Sesshomaru thought about this. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't tell her right now. She was too scared of him.

The day went on slowly. Sesshomaru wanted to apologize to Kagome, but he knew that she was afraid of him at the moment, and he wouldn't be able to find the right words to tell her.

"Mama, what happened?" Kagome looked up at Shippo.

"Nothing, Shippo. I'm fine."

"No, Mama, you aren't. You always say you're fine, but I can tell that you aren't. I can smell the fear in your scent. Did Sesshomaru do something to you?" Kagome took a few deep breaths.

"Shippo, I'm not sure I want to talk about it right now. I'm not in the mood to talk." Her voice was shaky, and Shippo only worried even more, but he obeyed his mother and left her alone.

Kagome continued to take deep breaths while she walked. Eventually, her legs became a little more steady, and she tried to come up closer to the rest of the group, but being closer to Sesshomaru made Kagome nervous all over again, and she stepped back.

Sesshomaru felt Kagome relax and come closer to them. But when she was about seven feet away from him, she became nervous again and went back to her original position.

Ah-Un felt how nervous Kagome was. He decided to comfort her. He slowed down so he was next to Kagome and nuzzled her with his nose. Kagome smiled and started to pet him.

"Thank you, Ah-Un. You're very nice." Kagome felt better right away. Rin and Shippo both smiled and started talking with Kagome.

Sesshomaru saw what Ah-Un did, and how much better Kagome felt. Her spirits were lifted, and Rin and Shippo began talking to her.

_Even Ah-Un has succeeded where I fail. _Sesshomaru straightened himself and tried to look as regal as possible. Sesshomaru decided to try and apologize to Kagome when they had dinner tonight.

oOo

It was almost sunset. It was getting darker, and colder, by the minute.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I think we should set up camp for the night." Sesshomaru heard Rin and nodded. Rin and Shippo jumped from Ah-Un. Kagome sat and looked through her bag. She pulled out a brush and brushed her hair. She usually brushed her hair after her baths, but she had fogotten because she had been scared of what Sesshomaru would do if she took too long.

Sesshomaru sat and tried to relax. He had rehearsed what he was going to say to Kagome over and over again. He would apologize and tell her that he had been worried that she was hurt.

Now that Sesshomaru thought about it, that might be harder than he expected.

Kagome finished brushing her hair and put her brush away.

"I'll go with Shippo to find food." Rin and Shippo both went into the woods.

"Jaken, go with them." Jaken stood, bowed, and followed after the children.

Sesshomaru and Kagome sat in silence for a minute. Kagome shifted nervously. The tension was too much for her.

"Why were you there?" Sesshomaru was surprised to hear her speak.

"Where?"

"At the hot spring. Why were you there?" Sesshomaru thought about what to say.

"I went to get you. I had told you to be quick, and you were taking much longer than I could tolerate." Kagome nodded.

"I'm sorry. I like to take time bathing." They sat in silence for another minute.

"I need to say something." Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru.

"What is it?"

"I need to apol-"

"We're back!" Rin and Shippo came running into the campsite with armfuls of fish.

"We caught so many fish, thanks to Shippo!" Rin and Shippo set the fish down. Jaken, who had been forced to collect wood for the fire, set the wood down and grumbled.

"I turned into a falcon and caught a bunch of fish to eat!" Kagome smiled.

"That was smart of you, Shippo." Sesshomaru cursed the kids for interrupting.

-End-

Aw man! Sesshomaru was about to apologize to someone for the first time! Well, Kagome will have to wait a little longer for Sesshomaru's kindness. I had fun writing this chapter. I have to recommend two stories for you guys. My friend has written two stories, but she doesn't have many readers. Trust me, these stories are good for a first time writer like her, and I'm asking you guys to please read and review them, like you review my story. It would make her so happy, so please read them! They're called 'Ayime the Half Fox Demon' and 'The True Feeling Within', and although they're a bit short with some grammar mistakes, they have nice plot lines. They're both Inuyasha stories, and I think some of you will like them. I would like to say something. A person called 'PerfectAnimemaster' had the nerve to read my entire story, and then tell me how much he/she doesn't like the SessKag pairing, or the way I wrote my profile! People like that are idiots! If you don't like the pairing, don't read the story! And I'll write my profile whatever way I want to! Sorry, I just needed to get that out. Sorry I took so long. Please review this chapter! You guys have been so nice in reviewing so far! Please review! I'll try and put up the next chapter as soon as possible. Bye!


	14. Sango and Miroku Find a Shard

Sango sighed as she put the fish on the fire to cook.

"What's wrong Sango?" Sango looked over at Miroku, who was polishing his staff.

"I'm worried about Kagome. I wonder how she's doing with Sesshomaru."

"I bet she's fine. After all, if Sesshomaru does anything to her, she can just shoot him." Sango glared at him.

"This isn't funny! Kagome wouldn't shoot him, even if he did something mean to her. She's too kind for that." Sango and Miroku heard a roar and looked up. Kirara flew into camp and transformed into her small form.

"Did you find Naraku's scent?" Kirara shook her head.

"Any jewel shards?" Kirara shook her head again. "That's too bad. We haven't been able to find any, but it's hard to find jewel shards when Kagome is gone."

"Cheer up, Sango. Kagome will make sure that some of the shards are found." Sango sighed again.

"I hope so. It might be hard with Sesshomaru. I know he's hunting Naraku, but he doesn't care for shards." Sango turned the fish over to cook them evenly.

Kirara mewed and turned around. "Kirara, what is it?" Kirara mewed again and transformed.

"Kirara must have found something." Miroku and Sango jumped onto Kirara and she flew off.

Kirara flew towards the south, near the ocean. As they approached a beach, Kirara landed and Sango and Miroku jumped off.

On the other side of the beach, Inuyasha was sitting with Kikyo. "Inuyasha?!"

Inuyasha stood and turned to them, and Kikyo prepared to shoot.

"What do you guys want?" Inuyasha glared at them.

Sango looked at Kirara. "Why did you bring us here?"

Kirara growled and looked at Kikyo. She had a shard of the jewel around her neck.

"A shard? Inuyasha, how did you find that shard?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"Kikyo can sense jewel shards just as well as Kagome. And she's a lot better at it."

"Inuyasha, I think it would be best if we took that shard." Miroku stepped toward Inuyasha.

"No chance, monk! When Kikyo and I finish the jewel, she'll have a second chance at life, and we can live together in peace."

"Inuyasha, if you made that kind of wish on the jewel, nothing good would come of it. It's a selfish wish that you're making for yourself."

"Shut up! Kikyo, go ahead and fire!" Kikyo pulled back her arrow and shot it. The arrow just barely missed Sango's head.

"I won't miss next time! Leave us alone!" Kikyo prepared another arrow.

"Inuyasha, the jewel shards are better in our hands. You don't have to fight us." Inuyasha growled and pulled out Tetsusaiga.

"Go away or I'll use the Wind Scar!" Miroku put up his right hand.

"I'll use the Wind Tunnel if you don't give us the shard!" No one responded.

"Miroku, you can't be serious. You would really suck Inuyasha into your Wind Tunnel?"

"I will if I have to." Miroku put his other hand on the prayer beads.

"You forget, monk, that you can't suck up the jewel shard, because if you do, then the jewel will never be finished." Everyone looked at Kikyo.

"Lady Kikyo, I am aware of that. It would be better if the jewel was never finished, rather than Inuyasha make a selfish wish on it." Inuyasha glared at Miroku for a minute, and put his sword away.

"Come on, Kikyo, let's get out of here." Inuyasha began walking away followed by Kikyo.

"Inuyasha, wait! Give me the jewel!" Inuyasha turned back to Miroku.

"What would Kagome think if you sucked me up?" Inuyasha finally noticed that Kagome and Shippo were missing. "Hey, where are Kagome and Shippo?"

"Kagome and Shippo have gone to travel with Sesshomaru. We thought it was best for her." Inuyasha stared at Miroku in disbelief.

"What?! Why?!" Sango stepped forward.

"Why do you care? You love Kikyo, don't you? You broke Kagome's heart. If you must know, the Flower of Fate told her that she was Sesshomaru's mate. She has gone to travel with him so she can get to know him better." Inuyasha couldn't believe his ears.

"How is she Sesshomaru's mate? She's a human! Sesshomaru hates humans!"

"Kagome isn't human anymore! She turned into a youkai!" Inuyasha was even more surprised. Kagome was a youkai?

"That's impossible! Kagome couldn't be a youkai. She would need the jewel for that." Sango was fed up with this.

"Inuyasha, we don't know how or why Kagome is a youkai, but she is! She's Sesshomaru's mate, and she's traveling with him because of that! Sesshomaru will be able to take care of her better than you ever could! I just hope that he doesn't break her heart the way you did!" Sango was in tears now, not because she was upset, but because she was crying for Kagome, who never shed a single tear when Inuyasha had left.

Inuyasha took all of this in. Kagome was a youkai, and she was going to be Sesshomaru's mate. Inuyasha had stopped caring for Kagome a while back, but now, his feelings suddenly flooded back to him, as if making up for every insult he had thrown at her. She had left him for his own brother.

"You're lying! Kagome doesn't like Sesshomaru at all, and she would never go to him!" Inuyasha turned and ran down the beach, and Kikyo soon followed.

Miroku came up to Sango and hugged her. "Sango, are you all right?"

Sango nodded and wiped her face. "I was crying for Kagome."

oOo

Inuyasha ran from the beach and into the woods. Kikyo followed him and watched as he tore down a tree.

"Inuyasha, you told me that you didn't care for my reincarnation anymore, so why do you act this way?" Inuyasha growled and turned to Kikyo.

"I don't care about her! I'm mad because she went to my brother!" Inuyasha tore down another tree.

"Inuyasha, I know about the Flower of Fate. If it told her that she was to go to your brother, then it means that they were destined for each other." Inuyasha turned to Kikyo with blood red eyes.

"Why would she be destined for my brother?! I don't care who she mates, but why him?!" Inuyasha couldn't see straight anymore. Out of rage, he struck down Kikyo with his claws.

"Inuyasha! Why did you do that?!" Kikyo stared at the hole in her shirt, where her clay body had been broken, and looked up at Inuyasha. He had two jagged stripes on his cheeks, and his claws and fangs were longer.

"That bitch is going to pay!" Inuyasha turned and ran. Kikyo struggled to stand, but collapsed to the ground.

oOo

Sango and Miroku were on Kirara, headed back to camp. Kirara saw something on the ground and roared.

"What is it?" Sango looked down and saw it. "Kikyo! Kirara, go down!" Kirara flew down and landed next to Kikyo.

Miroku and Sango jumped off Kirara and sat next to Kikyo.

"Lady Kikyo, what happened? Why is there a cut in your body?" Kikyo struggled to sit up. Circles of light spilled out of her body.

"Inuyasha . . . he went into a fit of rage . . . he wanted to take revenge on Kagome . . . for going to Sesshomaru." Kikyo clutched her chest as more of the souls spilled out.

"Kikyo, where did he go?" Kikyo pointed her finger in the opposite direction.

"Take the jewel shard. My time on earth is almost over, and I can go back to where I belong." Kikyo pulled the jewel from her neck and placed it on the ground.

"Kikyo, why are you being so nice? You were just shooting at us." Kikyo looked at Sango.

"I was only doing that . . . because Inuyasha wanted me to." Kikyo closed her eyes and fell to the ground.

"Lady Kikyo? Lady Kikyo?" Miroku shook Kikyo's shoulder, but she didn't move. The last few souls left her body and soared into the sky.

"Inuyasha killed Kikyo . . ." Miroku picked up the jewel shard.

"No, Inuyasha didn't kill her. Naraku killed her over fifty years ago. Inuyasha sent her back to where her soul belongs." Miroku murmured a prayer to purify the shard, but it didn't work.

The shard was tainted with desire, either from Inuyasha or the youkai that he obtained it from. Miroku didn't have enough spiritual energy to purify it, but he knew someone who did.

"We must take this to Kagome so she can purify it." Miroku stood and placed the jewel around his neck. "I'll keep it around my neck in the meantime. As a monk, the shard won't influence me."

"You're influenced enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sango giggled a little, but became serious as she looked at Kikyo's body.

"We should give her a proper burial." Miroku nodded, and they set to work.

-End-

Hi! This is just a chapter to show how Miroku and Sango are doing. Although, they don't seem doing very well. Inuyasha is after Kagome! Oh no! You'll have to read and find out what happens next. I'm sorry to all Kikyo fans, but I don't like Kikyo very much, and decided to work her death into the story. I wanted something to show how pissed Inuyasha is. Now I know you guys are thinking 'Why the hell does Inuyasha suddenly care about Kagome?' Well, you'll have to wait and find out. Oh, and about Kagome, I plan to make her appear stronger in the next few chapters. I know some of you don't like seeing Kagome weak, and I'm going to try my best to make sure she stands up for herself. Please review! Reviews help me so much! Please review, please! I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as I can. Okay, gotta go! Bye!


	15. Running Away

Kagome sighed and looked around. Traveling with Sesshomaru wasn't as eventful as she had thought it would be. No one talked, except for Rin and Shippo, who talked to each other all day.

Kagome tried to figure out what Sesshomaru had tried to say yesterday. He had been interrupted by Rin and Shippo, so Kagome hadn't understood what he said.

_What was he trying to say to me? Why was he talking to me? Even though we're supposed to be mates, it seems like Sesshomaru doesn't want anything to do with me. I'm still shaken up by what he did at the hot spring. _

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts when she sensed something. She could smell a youkai in the distance.

"Sesshomaru, I sense a jewel shard." Sesshomaru turned to look at her.

"Why does this matter?" Kagome was confused, and then she remembered that Sesshomaru didn't collect shards.

"Well, I need to collect shards so Naraku won't get them." Sesshomaru started walking again.

"Woman, you need to understand, I don't use shards, and I don't intend to start collecting them."

"But, if I don't get it, then Naraku will." Sesshomaru turned back to Kagome.

"Naraku is a coward for using the power of the jewel, but I could care less if he uses it or not. It will simply mean that I need to seek more power to defeat him." Sesshomaru started walking away again. Kagome couldn't believe it. She needed to get the shard.

Kagome made up her mind, and ran off the find the shard.

"Mama!" Sesshomaru heard Kagome run away and turned in time to see her disappear into the forest. Sesshomaru growled and ran after her.

"Wait my lord!" Jaken tried to catch up, but Sesshomaru was running too fast, and he gave up.

Sesshomaru chased after Kagome, but she was faster than he expected. She was outrunning him, and Sesshomaru had to struggle to catch up. _She really is a youkai, with how fast she's running. _

Kagome ran as fast as she could toward the shard. She knew Sesshomaru would kill her for this, but she needed to get the shard. She had hunted shards for so long, and she wasn't going to give up now.

Kagome finally came to a small clearing. A youkai was attacking two human children.

"Help!" One of the children tried to escape, but the youkai pinned him down.

The youkai resembled a large turtle, but it was fiery red, and it had talons on its feet.

"Let him go!" Kagome pulled her bow and an arrow out of her backpack and prepared to shoot.

The youkai looked up and laughed. "You expect me to believe that a human can defeat me?"

The youkai raised its head and opened its mouth. A beam of energy began forming, when Kagome saw a white flash, and the youkai was torn to shreds.

Sesshomaru landed gracefully on the ground and shook the remaining poison off his claws.

The second child, afraid of being attacked, ran to his friend. Kagome noticed the two and knelt next to them.

"It's okay. The youkai is gone, and this youkai won't hurt you." Kagome gestured to Sesshomaru.

The children cowered in fear. "Where are your parents?" The first boy looked up and pointed to the other side of the field.

"We were playing, and went too far from the village." Kagome smiled and stood.

"Do you think you can get back by yourselves?" The boys nodded and stood.

"Thank you so much for helping us." The boys ran back to their village, not wanting to spend another second near Sesshomaru.

Kagome walked to the remains of the youkai and picked up the shard. It purified as soon as she touched it, and Kagome tucked it into her backpack.

"I told you not to go." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru.

"Like I said, Naraku will get the shards if I don't collect them." Sesshomaru stepped closer to her.

"You could've been hurt." Kagome glared at him.

"I'm a miko. I can defend myself against a youkai."

"What if he had hurt you? What if I wasn't here?" Kagome was getting mad.

"I can take care of myself! You seem like the last person who would care!" Sesshomaru stepped even closer.

"I am concerned for your welfare!" Kagome took a step back.

"Why?! Because that flower said so?! I don't know about you, but I want my mate to be kind, caring, and loving! You don't have any of those qualities!" Sesshomaru stepped so close that his face was inches from Kagome's.

"You don't scare me. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"I don't need to be kept safe! I can defend myself without your help!"

"I find it hard to believe that someone as weak as you can defend herself!" Kagome gasped. Sesshomaru had struck a sensitive nerve.

Kagome stepped away from him. Her eyes began to water.

"Your . . . your . . . your just like that idiot brother of yours!" Kagome turned and ran back to the others. Sesshomaru paused for a moment before running after her.

Kagome reached the others and looked around. Shippo was on the ground next to Rin.

"Shippo, we're leaving!" Shippo turned around to face Kagome.

"Leaving? Why?" Kagome picked up Shippo.

"Because Sesshomaru can't be my mate, no matter what a stupid flower says!" Kagome ran as fast as she could.

Sesshomaru arrived, but Kagome was gone, and so was Shippo.

"Where is she?!" Rin pointed where Kagome had gone. Sesshomaru followed the direction, and he soon caught her scent. He followed the scent until Kagome came into view.

Kagome was headed for the Bone Eaters Well. She didn't want to stay in the feudal era.

Kagome knew the well wasn't far off. She could smell Keade's scent from where she was, which meant the village near the well was close.

Sesshomaru came closer to Kagome, but she ran faster, and stayed out of his reach. Sesshomaru almost wished that she hadn't turned into a youkai.

Finally, Kagome came to the God Tree. The well was close. Kagome continued to run until she reached it. The well was there, just as it had always been.

Sesshomaru caught up with her and grabbed Kagome's shoulder.

"Where are you going?!" Kagome tried to break free, but Sesshomaru held tight.

"Let go! I don't want to spend my life with someone who insults me and calls me weak!"

"Did my brother do that?" Kagome stopped struggling and looked at Sesshomaru.

"He . . . he always called me weak . . . and I can't trust anyone who calls me weak, including you!" Kagome broke from his grasp and jumped into the well. Sesshomaru was quick to follow her, but with unexpected results.

Kagome saw the magic swirl around her and take her to the modern era. Kagome landed gently on the bottom of the well.

She panted and took deep breaths, when Kagome realized that Shippo was missing.

"Shippo? Shippo?" Kagome looked around, but Shippo wasn't there. _He must not have been taken through the well. Of course, Inuyasha and I are the only ones who can go through. I have to get Shippo. _

Kagome would've gone right away, but Sesshomaru was probably waiting for her. Kagome decided to risk it. She couldn't leave her son all alone.

Kagome climbed halfway up the ladder in the well and jumped down. Nothing happened. There was no purple light, no magic time travel, or anything. Kagome began to panic. She tried it again, but it didn't work.

Kagome tried again and again, but the well wouldn't work. She was still in her own time.

"Why won't it work?! What's going on?!" Kagome fell to her knees and desperately began digging through the bottom of the well, but to no avail.

Kagome sobbed and pounded the ground. She needed to reach her son. "Let me through!" Kagome pounded the ground again, but it didn't do any good.

"Kagome? Kagome, is that you?" The doors to the shrine opened and Kagome's mother stepped in. "Kagome?"

"Mom?" Kagome's mother looked into the well.

"Kagome! What's wrong, dear?" Kagome sobbed and rivers passed down her cheeks.

"Mom, the well won't work."

oOo

Sesshomaru saw Kagome vanish into the well as he landed on the bottom. Kagome was gone, but nothing had happened to him.

Sesshomaru heard something from the corner of the well and looked down. Shippo was confused and looking around.

"Mama?" Shippo realized that Kagome had gone through the well, but he hadn't been able to pass.

"Kit, do you know what happened to you mother?" Shippo looked up at Sesshomaru.

"It's kind of a long story."

-End-

Now things are heating up! I planned this a few days ago, but my mind tends to work faster than my typing, so I had to wait to write it. Just so you know, when Kagome was running to the well, I know it seemed like she got there awfully fast. Keep in mind that she's a youkai now, and I plan to make her a powerful youkai, so she got there faster than even a normal youkai would. And of course, Sesshomaru is super powerful, so he was able to get there fast as well. Also, I want to clear something else up. While Kagome was running away, Inuyasha was confronting Sango and Miroku. Sometimes my stories can get confusing, and I don't want you to be confused. Things are going to get much worse for both Kagome and Sesshomaru! I hope you liked this chapter! Please review and let me know what you thought! Please! Okay, I gotta go. Bye!


	16. Sesshomaru Goes Through the Well

Kagome looked up at her mother and wiped her face. As upset as she was, Kagome was sick of crying.

"Mom, the well won't work. I can't get back to the feudal era."

"Kagome, climb up so I can talk to you up here." Kagome nodded and climbed out of the well.

"Mom, I need to get back." Kagome's mother sighed.

"Kagome, you need to explain everything to me." Kagome looked over the well and looked back at her mother.

"I was in the feudal era, and I jumped down the well with Shippo, but Shippo is still in the feudal era. I can't go back to him." Kagome's mother looked confused.

"Why did you have him with you? I thought that Inuyasha was the only one that could travel through." Kagome took a deep breath.

"Can I explain in the house?" Her mother nodded, and she and Kagome went into the house. When they were settled in the living room, Kagome began explaining.

"When I was in the feudal era, I found a strange flower called the Flower of Fate, and it helped me learn who my mate is."

"Mate? Is it Inuyasha?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, it's someone else. I left my friends to travel with him, but he insulted me and I was so mad that I grabbed Shippo and jumped down the well, and Shippo didn't get through. I was too mad to think about it before I jumped." Her mother nodded in understanding.

"So you can't get back?" Kagome shook her head again. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Shippo must be so upset." Kagome's mother, Hiromi, had learned about Shippo, and how Kagome had adopted him. She didn't object to it.

"I'm so worried. Sesshomaru is probably threatening him right now." Kagome looked toward the front door.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome looked back at Hiromi.

"Oh, he's the one that's supposed to be my mate."

"Why do you think he's threatening Shippo?" Kagome sighed, and started telling her mother about Sesshomaru. She told her about his personality, looks, and that he was a youkai.

"A youkai?!" Kagome jumped. Hiromi stood and glared at Kagome. "Kagome, why didn't you tell me sooner? I was worried when you told me that he wasn't very caring, but a youkai? Inuyasha was a hanyou, so he was at least part human." Kagome stood and grabbed her mother's arm.

"Mom, relax. Sesshomaru never hurt me, at least not physically."

"What do you mean?" Kagome let go and looked down.

"That jerk of a youkai called me weak." Hiromi relaxed, but now she decided to bring up something that Kagome probably didn't want to talk about.

"Kagome, I've been putting it off until you finished explaining, but I have to ask you something. Why are you a youkai?" Kagome looked up at her mother. She had forgotten about that until now. She hadn't thought about what her mother would say to this.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. A short time before I started traveling with Sesshomaru, I turned into a youkai. I freaked out at first, and I'm still wondering why I turned into one." Hiromi tried to calm down.

"This isn't good. It'll be hard to stay in this time period if you're a youkai. And what about Shippo?" Kagome paced around and tried to figure things out. She saw her backpack by the couch and remembered the jewel shard. She might be able to use it.

Kagome opened her backpack and began searching through. "Kagome, what are you doing?"

"I need to get the jewel shard I have. I might be able to use it to get through the well." Kagome continued to search, but the jewel wasn't there. Kagome was beginning to panic, and she emptied out her backpack. The jewel shard was missing.

oOo

Shippo shifted nervously. Sesshomaru had asked him to explain where Kagome was, and Shippo had just finished. He had told Sesshomaru the whole story. About Kagome being from the future, how she could travel through the well, and how she had been doing so since she was fifteen.

"She is in her time?" Shippo nodded. Sesshomaru was getting angrier by the minute.

"You won't be able to get through the well." Sesshomaru growled and looked around. Was there a special way that Kagome used to go through the well?

Shippo noticed something shining by Sesshomaru's feet. Shippo carefully picked it up. "The jewel shard!" Sesshomaru looked down at him.

"Shard? The shard that your mother found?" Shippo nodded.

"It must have fallen out of her backpack when she jumped."

"Give it to me." Shippo looked up at him.

"I thought you didn't use shards."

"Now!" Shippo jumped and handed Sesshomaru the shard. Sesshomaru had an idea.

Sesshomaru took the shard and inspected it. He had never held a shard in his hand before.

Sesshomaru jumped out of the well.

"Where are you going?" Shippo scrambled back when Sesshomaru jumped back into the well. A purple light surrounded them, and Shippo watched Sesshomaru disappear into the depths of the well. "Sesshomaru?!" The light disappeared, and Shippo looked around. Sesshomaru wasn't there.

Shippo became scared as he realized what had happened to Sesshomaru, and what he was going to do.

oOo

"The shard is gone!" Kagome frantically searched through her things, but it was gone.

"What do you need the shard for?" Hiromi stepped closer to her daughter.

"I was hoping to use it to get through the well. Now I'll never see Shippo again." Kagome gave up and sat on the couch.

"Kagome, I'm sure it'll be fine. You'll find some way to get through the well." Hiromi pat Kagome on the back.

"Why the heck can't I get through the well? Sesshomaru might have hurt him."

"I don't understand. Why would the Flower of Fate tell you that your mate is someone who seems so cruel?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking about that. We've never liked each other." A crash echoed through the house, and Kagome and Hiromi looked at the front door.

oOo

Sesshomaru saw as the light engulfed him, and he landed gracefully on the bottom of the well. He looked around, but the well seemed the same.

Sesshomaru looked up, and instead of the sky, he saw a roof. Sesshomaru jumped out of the well and stared at the building. He was in a shrine house.

Sesshomaru could see light coming in a door. He walked up the steps and opened the door. He almost reeled back at the powerful odor that hit his nose. The air smelled putrid. Sesshomaru looked around.

There were strange buildings with objects moving between crowds of people. Sesshomaru saw a house in front of him. He could smell Kagome and a human female inside.

Sesshomaru's anger flared. Kagome had run from him, but now he had caught her. Sesshomaru quickly disguised his scent and aura. Sesshomaru walked up to the door, and he heard a conversation between Kagome and the female human.

"I don't understand. Why would the Flower of Fate tell you that your mate is someone who seems so cruel?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking about that. We've never liked each other." Sesshomaru became even angrier, and he crashed through the front door.

Kagome and Hiromi looked at the front door to see Sesshomaru standing there.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome stood and stared in disbelief. "How did you get through the well?" Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's wrist.

"You're coming back with me!" Kagome broke from his grasp.

"Why should I?!" Sesshomaru attempted to grab her again, but Kagome dodged.

"Stop it!" Hiromi stood in front of her daughter. "Leave Kagome alone! I don't want you to hurt her!" Sesshomaru stopped, and he finally calmed down. The human female's scent was similar to Kagome's. She must have been her mother.

"I do not intend to hurt your daughter. I simply need her to come back with me."

"You're Sesshomaru, aren't you?" Sesshomaru was a little confused. He nodded.

"You hurt Kagome's feelings. I'd feel better if she stayed with me." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. He hadn't realized that he'd hurt her feelings.

"May I speak with you?" Kagome paused for a minute.

"Fine." Kagome stepped away from her mother. "I want to talk in my room." Sesshomaru nodded, and Kagome led him up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Sesshomaru could tell it was her room. Her scent was all over the place, although it was slightly different, since Kagome was a youkai, and her scent had changed.

Kagome turned to face Sesshomaru. "Before we talk, I want to know, how did you get here? The well doesn't work for anyone besides me and your brother." Sesshomaru remembered the shard. He pulled it out of his shirt sleeve.

"This fell out of your backpack." Kagome gasped and tried to take the shard, but Sesshomaru pulled his hand out of her reach. "I might need this to go back." Kagome sighed.

"So you used the shard to go through the well?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I'm surprised that you left the kit. I thought you would have come back for him." Kagome frowned.

"I would have, but I couldn't get through the well. It wouldn't let me through. I don't know why. How did you know what happened to me?"

"The kit told me. He found the shard on the bottom of the well." Kagome sighed. He had probably scared Shippo into giving him the shard, and Kagome began to get angry.

-End-

Hey! I hope you liked this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long! My computer sucks! And school is keeping me away! I'm very sorry, but I couldn't make this chapter extra long like the last one, but I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed! Over 200 reviews! Thank you so much! I never thought I'd get this many! Thanks! Sesshomaru is in the modern era! I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist! Trust me, something big is about to happen between our two favorite characters. And Inuyasha will be coming back soon. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Please, please review, and help me reach my new goal of 300! You've all been great so far! Bye!


	17. Never Mess With a Miko

Inuyasha ran through the forest as fast as he could. His anger had taken over, and he wanted to get revenge on Kagome.

He caught the scent of his brother, but it was faint. Inuyasha followed it to find a young girl, a dragon youkai, and an imp youkai.

Inuyasha could smell Sesshomaru, but he wasn't there. Kagome's scent was missing, but there was a scent similar to it. Inuyasha remembered that Sango had told him that Kagome had turned into a youkai.

Rin gasped as Inuyasha entered camp, and Jaken and Ah-Un moved to protect her.

"Where are Kagome and Sesshomaru?!" Jaken tried to blast him with his staff, but failed.

Inuyasha caught Kagome and Sesshomaru's scents going off in another direction, and he quickly followed. Shippo's scent was mixed in with Kagome's.

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could, and after following the scents for some time, he reached the Bone Eaters Well. Shippo was seated on the edge of the well, looking down. "Where's Kagome?!" Shippo jumped and saw Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Shippo became afraid as he realized that Inuyasha was being controlled by his own anger.

"Did she go into the well?!" Inuyasha didn't wait for an answer, and shoved the kit aside. He jumped down into the well, getting angrier by the second.

Inuyasha landed on the bottom of the well and jumped out. He crashed through the shrine doors and looked around. Kagome's house was a short distance off, like it had always been.

Inuyasha could smell Sesshomaru, Kagome's mother, and the scent that he had concluded was Kagome's scent as a youkai. Inuyasha walked around to the other side of the house. Kagome's bedroom window was closed, but Inuyasha didn't care. He jumped up and burst through the window.

oOo

"Did you threaten Shippo?" Sesshomaru was caught off guard by her question.

"The kit would not cooperate, so I had to." Kagome felt her anger flare.

"How dare you threaten Shippo?! He's just a kid!" Sesshomaru was a little surprised by her actions, but he didn't show it.

"I did what I had to so I could reach you." Kagome stepped closer to him, when something crashed through her window.

Inuyasha glared at the two, who turned their attention to him.

"Inuyasha?! What are you doing here?!" Inuyasha turned to Kagome and slammed her against the wall.

"Why?! Why did you go to Sesshomaru and betray me like this?!" Kagome remembered her nightmare. This was just what she had pictured.

Inuyasha cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Blood was spilling out of his back, and Sesshomaru had blood on his claws.

"Inuyasha!" Even if he wasn't her friend anymore, Kagome still had feelings for the hanyou.

"Kagome, you must flee before Inuyasha hurts you." Kagome gasped and looked at Sesshomaru. That was the first time he had used her name. "Go!" Kagome quickly nodded and ran out of her room and downstairs.

"Mom, where's my bow and arrows?" Hiromi looked at her daughter in confusion.

"They're still in your bag, but why do you need them?" Kagome reached for her bag and pulled out her weapons. She could tell that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had moved the battle outside.

oOo

Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha slowly stood and turned to him. He had somewhat calmed down, but he was still angry.

"Why is Kagome with you?!" Sesshomaru stared at his brother before answering.

"The Flower of Fate has showed Kagome and I that we are to be mates." Inuyasha growled.

"I know that! Why would she accept you?!" Sesshomaru thought about it. He himself didn't have that answer. He still wondered why Kagome had accepted him so easily.

If he thought about it though, Kagome had only accepted traveling with him, not Sesshomaru himself.

"She has yet to accept me. She has only started traveling with me." Inuyasha punched the wall in frustration.

Sesshomaru knew Kagome wouldn't want her room destroyed. "Let's take this outside." Sesshomaru jumped out the window, and Inuyasha followed with haste.

As they both landed, Sesshomaru turned to face Inuyasha.

"Give me back Kagome!" Sesshomaru pulled out Tokijin.

"Do you wish to fight for her?" Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga and attempted to strike Sesshomaru with it, but Sesshomaru blocked his attack.

Kagome came outside just in time to see their swords clash. _Oh no! This is a city! Someone might see them, or worse, they might hurt anyone that comes too close! _

Kagome watched the brothers jump apart, and took her chance.

Kagome ran in-between the two and set up a powerful barrier.

"Cut it out, both of you!" Inuyasha and Sesshomaru froze, and Inuyasha's eyes slowly returned to their normal color, and the markings on his face faded. Hearing Kagome's voice, even though she was yelling, seemed to calm him down.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Kagome turned to Inuyasha.

"I'm sick of you two fighting! Inuyasha, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Kikyo!" Inuyasha remembered what he had done, and looked down in shame.

"Kikyo isn't here anymore."

"What?" Kagome didn't understand. Inuyasha looked up and explained what had happened. Sesshomaru remembered the dead priestess, and thought that Inuyasha had done her a favor by sending her back to the world of the dead.

"You hurt Kikyo, out of rage? Inuyasha, I find that hard to believe!" Inuyasha was surprised.

"I'm not lying!"

"I don't care if you're lying or not! As far as I'm concerned, we're not friends anymore, and you tried to hurt me!" Kagome began glowing with miko energy.

"Kagome, I wasn't trying to hurt you." Kagome shook her head in disappointment, and she turned to Sesshomaru.

"You're in trouble too! You threatened Shippo! He's my son, and I'm not going to stand for either of you!" Kagome's barrier became larger and stronger, and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were having a hard time staying out of the way.

Finally, the barrier reached the two Inu youkai, and both were shocked and sent flying.

Kagome watched them land far from the house, away from the city. She let her barrier down and took slow, deep breaths. She had never used that much of her energy before, and it had wiped her out.

Kagome looked in the direction where Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had landed. They had landed in the forest behind her house. Kagome felt bad about hurting them, but both of them had angered her to a point where she couldn't take it.

Kagome slowly calmed herself. As her anger wore down, Kagome fully realized what she had done. For all she knew, she could have killed her former friend and future mate.

Kagome turned around, but she couldn't help it. She had to go look for them. _**Leave them alone. They hurt you. **_Kagome looked around. "Who's there?" _**I'm your inner youkai. Every youkai has inner thoughts and feelings that they deny, and an inner youkai tells them of those feelings. **_"Inner youkai?" _**It's better if you talk to me with your thoughts. **__Why do you want me to leave Sesshomaru and Inuyasha? __**They hurt you. You were right to send them flying like that. **__But I need to make sure they're okay. __**Don't bother. **_Kagome ignored her inner youkai and ran into the forest behind her house.

Kagome searched for their scents. She had learned what Sesshomaru smelled like, but she had only had a brief time to find what Inuyasha's scent was, since he had left before she turned into a youkai.

Kagome ran through the forest. Even though she had been angry before, Kagome wasn't cruel enough to hurt someone she didn't truly hate without making sure that they were uninjured after.

As she rushed through the forest, Kagome caught Sesshomaru's scent, and what she thought was Inuyasha. Kagome ran and saw both of them ready to fight each other in a clearing.

"This is your fault! I heard her! You yelled at Shippo!" Sesshomaru growled.

"You called her weak and came to her home uninvited!"

"Hey!" Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both turned to Kagome. "I'm sick of this! I don't care anymore! Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, I want you both to go back to the feudal era!"

"But Kagome . . ." Kagome glared at Inuyasha.

"Shut it! I want you both gone in the next three seconds!"

Inuyasha was quick to leave, but Sesshomaru didn't move. Instead, he walked over to Kagome.

"I'm surprised that you were brave enough and strong enough to hurt me." Sesshomaru turned on his heel and headed for the shrine house. _Was that an insult, or a . . . compliment?_

-End-

Hey! I'm sorry this was a short chapter! I usually try to make them at least a little longer than this, but I thought that this was a good place to end it. Sesshomaru complimented Kagome! And he used her name! Things are going to get fun from here, trust me. I just want you guys to know, there actually is a forest behind Kagome's house. I've seen it in one of the episodes. I've got the next two or three chapters written in my head, and now I just need to type them. I hate school! It keeps me from posting chapters! During Christmas break, I'll be able to put up several new chapters, and I can't wait for it! Did anyone notice that everything switched to Christmas almost immediately after Thanksgiving was over? My radio was playing Christmas music all through Thanksgiving weekend. I'm getting tired of it really fast. Please review! Please review! Please review! Thanks, bye!


	18. Sesshomaru Explains the Mating Ritual

Kagome shook her head and focused. She began walking back to her house, when she realized something terrible. _Sesshomaru has the shard, and I won't be able to go back! _

Kagome broke into a run. She rounded the corner of her house, only to see Sesshomaru standing there. He was waiting by the shrine house.

"Sesshomaru? I told you to go back." Sesshomaru walked up to her.

"Miko, no one commands me. Besides, I'm not stupid. I realized that you wouldn't be able to get back without the shard."

"Sesshomaru, you don't need to be so stuck up all the time. I hate that." Sesshomaru turned and opened the door to the shrine.

"Are you coming?"

"I need to get my bag." Kagome ran inside her house and grabbed her bag. She came back out and followed Sesshomaru into the shrine.

"We will need to hold onto each other for the shard to work for both of us." Kagome nodded and put her legs over the edge of the well.

Before she could protest, Sesshomaru jumped down, and pulled her down with him. The magic swirled around them as they were taken to the feudal era.

Sesshomaru landed and let go of Kagome's wrist. Kagome stumbled, but she didn't fall. Sesshomaru jumped out, and Kagome reached for the vines on the wall, when she thought of something. _If Sesshomaru can jump out, then maybe I can too. _Kagome looked up. It was a long jump, for a human.

Kagome bent her legs, used all of her energy, and jumped out of the well. Kagome felt like she was flying. She landed gently on the ground, but fell over as Shippo tackled her.

"Mama! You're back!" Kagome hugged Shippo.

"It's nice to see you Shippo, but I wasn't gone very long."

"I was worried that Sesshomaru had hurt you." Kagome shook her head.

"He didn't hurt me. I'm worried that he hurt you. Did he?" Shippo shook his head and hugged Kagome tighter.

"He didn't hurt me at all." Kagome set Shippo on the ground and stood.

Rin ran up to her and hugged her. "Kagome!"

"Rin? How did you get here?" Rin let go and smiled.

"Shippo showed Jaken and I where you were." Kagome saw Jaken and Ah-Un sitting nearby.

"We're going." Sesshomaru began walking away, and everyone else was quick to follow.

Sesshomaru thought about what Kagome had said. _She said that she thinks I'm stuck up. __**You're the most stuck up person I know. **_Sesshomaru growled. _Do you need to be here? __**I'm just saying, you are stuck up. Just because you know you're more powerful than someone doesn't mean that you have to treat them like dirt. **__I am the Lord of the West. I have power over anything and everything in my territory. __**And that's why Kagome doesn't like you. **_Sesshomaru glanced back at Kagome.

Kagome was talking to Shippo and Rin. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru looking at her. Kagome quickly looked away. Sesshomaru turned back. _I need to win her over, but that's hard to do when I don't like her. __**You should start by telling her about that mating ritual. She still doesn't understand why I yelled at her at the hot spring, or why you wouldn't let her fight the youkai. **_Sesshomaru thought about this. It would help Kagome understand why he was being so protective. He decided to tell her later.

Kagome looked away from Sesshomaru. She couldn't forget what he had said. _'I'm surprised that you were brave enough and strong enough to hurt me._' Kagome had thought about it, and the way she saw it, he had given her a compliment.

Kagome wasn't sure why he had done it, though. Had he been kidding? _Did Sesshomaru mean to say that he thought I was strong? __**Of course he did! **__My inner youkai? __**Yes. I think you're catching on. Sesshomaru was saying that you're strong, and it surprised him. He doesn't know how strong you are. **__Inuyasha is always saying that I'm weak. __**Screw Inuyasha! He's a jerk! I'm glad his precious Kikyo is dead. **__How can you say that? You're part of me, and I know I don't think badly of people like that. __**Please, you've always wished she was dead. **__Can you go away? _Kagome listened for a minute, but her inner youkai was gone.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. He stared straight ahead, as always. Kagome thought about the photo she had of him, and the night she had studied his features. Sesshomaru's hair really did look soft. Kagome wondered what it felt like. _Did I just think that? What's with me? _Kagome looked down.

Her youkai ears picked up what Jaken was saying.

"My lord, why does that female travel with us? You still haven't told me." Sesshomaru didn't answer.

Kagome began wondering why Jaken traveled with Sesshomaru. He didn't have much purpose.

She also wondered why Rin was with him. Didn't he hate humans?

Kagome looked at their group. Five youkai and a human. Six youkai, if you counted Ah-Un's heads as separates.

Kagome sighed. _I wonder how Miroku and Sango are doing. They won't be able to find shards as easily now that I'm with Sesshomaru. _

oOo

Inuyasha watched Kagome leave with Sesshomaru. For once, Kagome had truly frightened him. He had gone back to the feudal era without haste. Inuyasha was surprised that she hadn't sat him.

As they left, Inuyasha ran to find Kikyo. He had to make sure that she was okay.

Inuyasha tried hard, but he couldn't find her scent. It was missing. Inuyasha ran faster, and soon he came to the clearing where he had struck Kikyo down. To his horror, there was a gravestone there, with Kikyo's name on it, and flowers beside it.

Inuyasha fell to his knees. He had killed her. "I killed Kikyo. Kikyo, I'm so sorry. I couldn't see past my rage." Inuyasha placed his hand on the gravestone. It was made out of wood. He recognized the way the letters were carved in it. Miroku had carved letters in wood gravestones before, and they looked just like this. Miroku and Sango had been kind enough to bury her, even after the way Inuyasha had treated them.

Inuyasha wiped his face off. He didn't want to cry. He suddenly felt a wave of cold go over him. He clutched his arms. "Must have been the wind." Inuyasha stood and looked at the gravestone. "Good-bye, Kikyo." Inuyasha ran away, before he became emotional.

oOo

Kikyo silently watched as Inuyasha almost cried over her gravestone. She gently touched his shoulder, but let go when Inuyasha shivered. As Inuyasha ran away, Kikyo sighed.

"So, I am a ghost. I had thought that what was left of my soul would be returned to Kagome. If I still linger in the world of the living as a ghost, then there must be some purpose that I must fulfill before returning to where my soul belongs." Kikyo floated a few inches above the ground. She couldn't touch solid earth as a ghost. She could only touch people, but to them it would feel like a gust of wind.

Kikyo started floating in a random direction. Her soul would lead her to where she was needed before she returned to Kagome's body.

Kikyo was surprised when she came into a campsite. Kagome was there, along with a human, and four other youkai, including the Taiyoukai of the West.

It had taken Kikyo time to come to the campsite, and it was almost sundown now. _Why would I be led here? _Kikyo watched as Sesshomaru sat away from the others, while Kagome and a fox kit and human talked. _Something is different. Kagome is a youkai . . . of course. _Kikyo figured it out. There was a specific reason for Kagome's transformation into a youkai.

oOo

Kagome took the fish off the fire. "Rin, Shippo, dinner is done." Rin and Shippo eagerly took their fish and ate. Kagome smiled and ate her fish.

"Kagome, you're an excellent cook. I can never make fish like this." Kagome finished her fish and looked at Rin.

"Thank you. I try my best." Shippo finished his fish and set the bone down.

"Mama is really good at cooking. She's cooked almost every meal for our group since she came here." Kagome found herself thinking about Sango and Miroku again.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome looked up from her daze.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was thinking about Sango and Miroku."

"Who are they?" Kagome smiled.

"They're my friends. I met them a long time ago." Rin wasn't satisfied.

"What are they like?" Kagome paused a minute.

"Miroku is a monk, but he's not exactly pure." Rin cocked her head.

"What do you mean?" Kagome smiled.

"I'll tell you when you're a little older. Sango is a youkai slayer, but she only slays youkai that are evil." Rin smiled and finished her fish.

"Kagome?" Kagome turned to look at Sesshomaru. _He used my name again. _

"What is it?" Sesshomaru stood and walked over.

"I need to speak with you, in private." Kagome stood and followed Sesshomaru out of the camp to a place where they could talk without any listeners.

They came to a small pond and sat down.

"Sesshomaru, what do you need to talk about?" Sesshomaru looked to the side.

"I need to tell you about something important." Sesshomaru paused. This was harder than he thought.

"What?" Sesshomaru looked Kagome in the eye. She was waiting for his answer.

"In the youkai world . . . there is a special ritual that a male youkai has to perform before he has the right to mate a female."

"Ritual? What kind of ritual?" Sesshomaru would have sighed if he didn't want to keep up his image.

"It is a series of steps to win the female's approval. Most youkai are taught of it when they are young, but I know you just became a youkai recently and didn't know of it." Kagome wasn't sure what to think of this. A ritual? A mating ritual?

"A mating ritual? Sesshomaru, why didn't you tell me?" Kagome knew Sesshomaru didn't like her, but he could've told her.

"I am not social. I wasn't sure about telling you." Kagome thought about this.

"If it's a series of steps, what are the steps?" Sesshomaru was afraid that she would ask that.

"Step one is to have the female approve of the mating. I believe you have already done so." Kagome nodded. He had a point. "The second step is for the male to convince the female that he is able to protect her." Kagome suddenly understood. That was why he had been so aggressive at the hot springs, and about fighting the youkai.

"Is that why you were acting like that?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I didn't mean to frighten you at the hot springs. My inner youkai took over."

"What's the third step?" Sesshomaru stiffened. He didn't want to tell her that.

"I think we should finish the second step before I tell you the third step."

"Okay, but how do we finish the second step?"

"The female must agree that the male is capable of protecting her. The male needs to be able to protect her so that she will feel safe if she has pups." This time Kagome stiffened. More than anything she wanted her own children. Shippo was her son, but not hers. She wanted children to hug, to put to sleep, to kiss on the forehead. Shippo was growing too old for some of those things. "Kagome?" Kagome snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry. Oh, Sesshomaru, I noticed at my house that you used my name for the first time. This is the third time."

Sesshomaru hadn't noticed this. He had called her by her name without thinking. _Why did I do that? I usually call her female, or miko. __**Did you slip up? **__I don't need your opinion. _

"I suppose I'm becoming more used to your presence. I do not use names for those I don't know very well." Kagome suddenly felt heat rising to her cheeks. _Don't tell me I'm blushing! Why am I blushing! __**You idiot, you blush when you're embarrassed. Don't tell me you're embarrassed about Sesshomaru using you're name. **__I don't need your help! _

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome shook her head and faked a smile.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." Sesshomaru was skeptical.

"If you insist." Kagome looked around. It was getting dark.

"Sesshomaru, I just need to know one more thing. Is there a special way that I should tell you if I think you can protect me?" Sesshomaru thought for a minute.

"You must tell me so on the night of a full moon."

"A full moon?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"The full moon is the time when my family performs certain rituals. It would be appropriate."

"I see. I think we should be getting back to camp. I'll see you there." Kagome quickly left the area and went back to camp.

Sesshomaru watched her with curiosity. Her scent had changed slightly when he had mentioned a female needing safety in case she had pups. He had smelled wanting in her scent. _Does she want pups? __**Duh! Her scent told me enough to tell that she wants her own family, badly. I suppose it's not the same to have an adopted child. **__Why must you always pester me? You've been doing that more often lately. __**That's because you're too blind to see what's going on in front of you! **_Sesshomaru growled and made his way back to camp.

-End-

Hi! Sorry it's been so long! I tried to make this chapter longer than usual to make up for it! Yippee! Oh boy, now Sesshomaru knows that Kagome wants children! I feel sorry for Kagome. She wants her own family more than anything! But she's not the type to reveal something like that. Yes, I brought Kikyo back. I felt so bad about killing her! I can never kill people in my stories unless they're irrelevant or true villains. Okay, she's not alive, but she has an important part in this! All right, I gotta go. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll try to put up the next chapter soon! Bye!


	19. Leaving

Kikyo watched the scene unfold. Sesshomaru explained to Kagome what the mating ritual was.

Kikyo knew what the mating ritual was, and what the steps were. As a priestess, she had needed to know as much about youkai as she could. Kikyo slowly began to understand what she needed to do before her soul was returned to Kagome.

She watched as Sesshomaru explained the first two steps. Kikyo now knew what she had to do. Her final mission on earth was to help Kagome and Sesshomaru form a bond and become mates.

Kikyo worried as Kagome's expression changed. She looked like she desired something. Sesshomaru had just told her the reason why a male protects a female. Kikyo sensed a certain need that Kagome felt. _Strange. Does she desire children? _Kikyo waited until the conversation ended, and Kagome left to go back to the camp.

Sesshomaru waited a few more minutes before going back to camp. Kikyo followed him and saw Kagome speaking to the kit and the human.

Sesshomaru sat nearby with Jaken.

"Kagome, why did Sesshomaru need to talk to you?" Kagome looked at Rin.

"Oh, nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

"Mama, stop it. You don't tell us anything." Kagome smiled and shook her head.

"Shippo, it's a little private. I'd rather not tell you right now." Shippo nodded, but he still wanted to know.

"I'm tired anyway. Rin, what about you?" Rin nodded.

"Yeah, we should go to bed." Kagome and Shippo snuggled into the sleeping bag, and Rin settled onto Ah-Un.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome sleep. If he was right, she wanted children of her own. Sesshomaru didn't think she would because she had Shippo.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and breathed deeply. For the first time, he noticed how nice Kagome's scent was. He felt himself slowly drift to sleep.

oOo

Sesshomaru woke up and looked around. Everyone else was asleep, and the sun was just coming over the horizon. _I was sleeping. I haven't slept for years. _Sesshomaru never needed sleep, only to rest to restore strength. It was hard for him to fall asleep, so the fact that he had fallen asleep so easily surprised him.

Sesshomaru noticed something strange. There was a new scent in camp. Sesshomaru sniffed the air and found that it was coming from Kagome. _Why is her scent different_? Sesshomaru stood and walked over to Kagome. She was asleep. Sesshomaru sniffed her scent again. As he felt his instincts coming forth, he realized what it was. Kagome was in heat.

Sesshomaru quickly stepped back. His instincts would take over if he was too close. _She's in heat? This isn't good. __**Are you worried? **__Be quiet. I don't need you taking over. __**I'm trying not to. Even I know how important it is that we complete the mating ritual first. What are we going to do? **__A female stays in heat for a few days. My instincts will take over if I'm around for even an hour or so. I might be able to last longer, but it's been a while since I've taken a female. __**Try a few hundred years. I'm dying to have a female, but I have a little control, and I know Kagome would hate us if I did anything. **__I'll have to leave for a while. _

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome. Her scent was burning his nose. Sesshomaru left camp to get a breath of fresh air. He would have to leave, so he would tell the others after breakfast.

oOo

Kagome woke and sat up. She looked around and noticed something. She stood and looked back and forth. Sesshomaru was missing.

"Sesshomaru? Where are you?" There was no answer.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Shippo rubbed his eyes and looked up at her.

"Sesshomaru isn't here." Kagome looked around again.

"Where did he go?" Shippo stood and sniffed the air.

"What's up?" Rin sat up and glanced around camp.

"Sesshomaru isn't here. I'm going to go look for him." Kagome ran out of camp.

"I wonder where Lord Sesshomaru went. It's not like him to go missing like this." Rin hopped down from Ah-Un.

Shippo looked at her. "Maybe he left to look for Naraku again."

oOo

Sesshomaru sat in a clearing far from camp. He was hoping to stay there for a little longer.

"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru looked in the direction Kagome's voice had come from.

After a few minutes, he heard footsteps and caught her scent. Sesshomaru tried to keep his inner youkai under control.

Kagome ran into the clearing and saw Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru! Why are you here?" Sesshomaru stood and faced her.

"We need to speak."

"Speak? About what?" Sesshomaru looked to the side.

"Are you aware of what happens to a human female each month?" Kagome was about to say no, but she realized what he meant.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"A female youkai has something similar. Twice a year a female youkai goes heat, when her scent changes to attract a male. Early this morning you went into heat, and it's affecting my senses." Kagome thought about it a minute until she thought she understood.

"So it's affecting your inner youkai?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"If I don't leave soon, my inner youkai may take over and try to mate with you. The mating ritual is not yet complete, and we would not be official mates if I did that, and it would disgrace both myself and you." Kagome nodded.

"Are you saying that you have to leave?" Sesshomaru nodded and looked at her.

"I will only leave for four days. That is how long your heat will last at most." Kagome thought of something.

"What about Jaken and Ah-Un?" Sesshomaru almost looked surprised.

"Ah-Un and Jaken have no desire for a mate, and a female youkai usually only attracts males of her own breed when she is in heat." Kagome thought about this. She was still somewhat angry with Sesshomaru for threatening Shippo, even if he hadn't hurt him. It might be good for them both to be separated for a while.

"Fine. Should we continue looking for Naraku?" Sesshomaru thought about it. He had to go to his castle soon. Naraku had caused damage in the west, and he needed to be at his castle to help fix it.

"I need to go to my castle as soon as I can. I think I should go ahead, and you may follow later. Jaken knows the way there, and it will take you much longer to get there." Kagome considered this. She had always wondered if Sesshomaru had a castle, and she was curious about it.

"That sounds good. I think I should head back to camp. Are you going ahead?" Sesshomaru didn't answer, and he was gone in a flash.

Kagome sighed and began walking back to camp. It wasn't long before she realized something. She had felt completely at ease when she was talking to Sesshomaru, when normally she would have felt tense or nervous, or angry. _Maybe he's right. He said he might be getting used to me, and I think I'm getting used to him. _Kagome shook her head when she thought about how that sounded.

Back at camp, Shippo and Rin had already made breakfast. They turned to her as she entered camp.

"Where's Sesshomaru? Did you find him?" Kagome nodded and sat next to them.

"Sesshomaru needs to leave for a few days. He's heading back to his castle, and we're going to go there after breakfast. He needs to go ahead of us, but don't ask why." Kagome knew that they would be curious.

"Why not?" Kagome sighed.

"Maybe I'll tell you some other time." Shippo noticed something and sniffed the air.

"Mama, did your scent change?" Kagome's face fell, but she put on a fake smile.

"I don't think so. Maybe your imagining it." Shippo didn't think so.

"Mama, I'm sick of you not telling me anything. Why did your scent change?" Kagome stopped smiling.

"Shippo, you're right. I keep thinking you're so young, but you're older and deserve to know. My scent changed because I'm in heat." Shippo's eyes went wide, and he didn't ask anymore questions. He knew what that meant.

"What does that mean?" Rin looked at Kagome, then Shippo, and back at Kagome.

"Shippo, maybe you should tell her." Shippo took Rin by the wrist and led her away.

Jaken walked over to Kagome. "I demand you tell me where Lord Sesshomaru went!" Kagome glared at him.

"I already told Rin and Shippo, he went on ahead, and we're following after breakfast!" Jaken jumped back. Kagome didn't appreciate a toad ordering her around.

Ah-Un stood and nuzzled Kagome's arm. Kagome turned to him and smiled. "Thanks Ah-Un. You're a very nice dragon." Kagome began petting one of his heads.

"What?!" Rin jumped from where she was sitting. "That's what it means? I didn't think stuff like that happened to youkai!" Shippo grabbed Rin's arm.

"Stop yelling. I've known about things like this since my parents told me when I was young." Rin breathed deeply and calmed down.

"Okay, I'm fine. That shocked me a little bit, that's all." Rin and Shippo walked back to Kagome.

"Are we leaving now?" Kagome was about to nod, but her stomach growled.

"I haven't had a chance to have breakfast yet." Shippo smiled and took a fish from the fire.

"We saved this for you." Kagome happily took the fish and ate it.

"Thank you, Shippo." Kagome went over and picked up her bag. "Okay, let's go." Rin and Shippo climbed onto Ah-Un. Kagome turned to Jaken.

"Jaken, I don't know the way to the castle. As much as I hate to say this, you and Ah-Un will have to lead the way." Jaken stood there for a minute before snapping to attention. He turned and began leading the group. Everyone quickly followed.

-End-

Hey!!! I'm sorry, but Kagome and Sesshomaru are going to be separated for a while. Please review! Please review! Please review! Alright, I have to go now. Please review and tell me what you thought! Bye!


	20. Koga Goes Insane

Koga wandered through the woods with Hakaku and Ginta following. Naraku was nowhere to be found, but Koga had caught a strange, but familiar scent.

"Koga, what's this scent you told us that you found?" Ginta and Hakaku were having a hard time keeping up.

"It smells so familiar, but it's different too." Koga stopped and sniffed the air. He thought about it for a minute, and realized what it was. "Kagome!"

"Kagome? We haven't seen her for a while." Koga didn't pay attention to Hakaku. This was strange.

Kagome's scent was different. Much different. Koga sniffed the air again. Something was wrong.

For one, Koga could smell different people with Kagome, except her kit was still there, but Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku were missing.

Also, Kagome's scent wasn't the same. She smelled like a youkai, and Koga's eyes widened when he realized that she was in heat.

But she couldn't be in heat. Kagome was a human, yet she smelled like a youkai that was in heat.

"Koga?" Koga turned to his companions.

"Something isn't right. Kagome smells like a youkai in heat, and the mutt and her friends aren't with her. I'm going to check it out." Koga broke into a run. Ginta and Hakaku started running after him.

Koga stopped short when he saw Kagome. She was sitting in a camp with her kit, two other youkai, and a human girl. But Kagome was different.

Her ears were pointed, she had claws, and when she smiled, Koga saw that she had fangs. Koga took a step toward them. Then he saw something that hit him hard.

Under her bangs, Koga could see that Kagome had a crescent moon on her forehead. That was the mark of the Inu youkai family of the west. If a female excepted a proposal for a mating ritual from a male member of that family, then she would gain that mark. Koga felt his anger boil.

Inuyasha had proposed a mating ritual, and Kagome had accepted. Koga was in love with her, and she loved him back, Koga was sure of that, so why had she accepted? And why was Kagome a youkai? Kagome would have had to use the jewel for that, and Koga still had the shards in his legs, so the jewel couldn't be completed.

Koga stormed into camp. "Kagome, how could you?!" Kagome saw Koga and jumped up.

"Koga? What are you doing here?" Koga stepped toward her.

"I have a better question. Why the hell did you accept a mating proposal from that mutt?" Kagome was confused. She knew Koga meant Inuyasha, but why did he think that he had proposed a mating?

"Koga, what do you mean? I didn't accept a mating proposal from Inuyasha." Ginta and Hakaku ran into camp and tried to catch their breath. Kagome glanced at them for a moment before looking back at Koga.

"Don't lie to me! That crescent moon on your forehead is proof that you and the mutt are in a mating ritual together!" Kagome reached up and touched her crescent moon mark.

"Koga, what do you mean? How does this prove it?" Koga couldn't believe it. _That mutt must have forgotten to explain it to her. _

"The crescent moon is the mark of the family of the west. When a male member of the family starts a mating ritual with a female, the female gains that mark to tell other youkai that she is in a mating ritual. The same goes for the royal families of the south, east, and north." Kagome stared at Koga for a minute. She hadn't known any of this, but Sesshomaru probably had. She was going murder him for not telling her, but then again, she had never asked.

"Look, Koga, Inuyasha wasn't the one to start a mating ritual with me. He chose Kikyo over me, and ended up killing her by accident. He tried to get me back, but I told him to leave me alone because I'm in a mating ritual with someone else."

"Who the hell is it?" Kagome could hear the anger in his voice.

"Sesshomaru." Koga was surprised. He had met Sesshomaru only once before, and knew that he was Inuyasha's older brother.

"Why would you pick him? He's the older brother of the flea bag, right? Why did you accept a mating proposal from him?" Kagome sighed.

"It's a long story, Koga, and I'd rather not explain." Koga took Kagome's hand.

"Kagome, I love you, so I want to know why you betrayed me for someone else." Kagome pulled her hand away.

"I didn't betray you. Koga, I've never liked you. You think that I do, but I don't. You're my friend, and that's how it's going to stay. Nothing more. We're never going to be lovers, or mates. Why I'm in a mating ritual with Sesshomaru is none of your business, so I'd appreciate it if you left me alone." Koga scowled.

"Kagome, tell me right now!"

"Leave her alone!" Koga turned to look at Shippo. He had almost forgotten that he was there.

"What do you want? This isn't any of your business!" Shippo stood in front of Kagome.

"Mama asked you to leave her alone. If you're her friend, you'll do as she asks." Koga growled. He felt his anger burning like a fire that needed to be put out. _Why am I acting like this? Kagome asked me to leave her alone, and normally, I'd respect her wish and leave, but something is keeping me here. __**Mate her! Make her yours! **_Koga panicked when he heard his inner youkai. _That's it! Her scent! I don't know why she's a youkai, but Kagome is in heat now, and my instincts are taking over! _

"Koga, what's wrong?" Koga glared at Kagome. His eyes had turned red. "Koga?"

"Shut it, wench! You're going to be mine!" Koga was about to run at Kagome, but Ginta and Hakaku held him back.

"Koga, stop!" Kagome stepped back from them. Koga struggled against his friends.

"Koga must be affected by my scent. I forgot that I'm in heat. Ah-Un, take Rin, Shippo, and Jaken out of here." Ah-Un stood and Rin climbed on his back.

"What about you, Mama?" Kagome turned to Shippo.

"I'll catch up, just go." Shippo nodded and jumped onto Ah-Un, and Jaken was quick to lead them out of camp.

Kagome watched as Hakaku and Ginta tried to hold Koga back.

"Kagome, you've got to get out of here!" Kagome picked up her bag, but she didn't leave.

"Before I leave, I need to ask you guys, why aren't you affected?" Ginta flinched as Koga's elbow came in contact with his chest.

"Kagome . . . this is really hard . . . leave!" Kagome wouldn't budge.

"I have my arrows if I have to use them. Answer me." Hakaku and Ginta paused for a minute.

"We aren't affected because of Koga. Our instincts know that a pack leader has first rights to any female, whether she's in heat or not. It's not our place to try and mate you. Now get out of here before Koga gets free!" Kagome nodded and ran from the area, back to the others.

Everyone else was sitting near a river that was a few miles from the camp. Ah-Un had flown with everyone on him until he had thought they were safe.

Kagome ran for a few minutes until she finally reached them. "There you are. I was worried that you had gone too far, thought you left only a little before I did. How did you travel so far?" Rin and Shippo descended from the dragon's back and walked over to Kagome.

"Ah-Un can fly very fast, and knew you would be able to catch up to us." Kagome nodded and sat down. She had run as fast as she could to make it here, and now she was tired.

"We should probably get going. Ginta and Hakaku won't last against Koga." Shippo and Rin climbed back on Ah-Un and Kagome followed. Jaken was sitting on one of his heads, since he didn't want to sit by Rin and Shippo.

Ah-Un took off into the air. Rin turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, who were those youkai?" Kagome thought for a minute.

"Well, they're my friends, but Koga . . . has a crush on me, and he thinks I love him back, but I don't."

"Was Koga the one who went crazy?" Kagome laughed and nodded.

"I've told him many times that I don't love him, but he refuses to believe it. My scent must have made his instincts take over. This is more serious than I thought. I'll have to be careful." Ah-Un continued flying for the rest of the day. Kagome was his friend, and he didn't want her hurt by that wolf youkai.

oOo

Sesshomaru sat on the grass to rest. He had traveled for hours without stopping, and he needed to regain some of his energy.

He looked around began wondering if Kagome was all right. _I'm supposed to protect her, and while she's in heat, the best way to do that is to stay away. __**You'd better hope that another youkai doesn't attack her. **__Ah-Un and Jaken will help if that happens. __**I know that they will try to, but it doesn't mean they will succeed. She can probably protect herself, though. **__What do you mean? __**She's strong, and you know it. **_

Sesshomaru was about to respond, when a whirlwind rushed past him and skidded to a halt. The whirlwind died down, and a wolf youkai stood there.

Sesshomaru stood and turned to the youkai. "Who are you, and what do you want?" The youkai growled.

"You're the one! I'm going to kill you!" The wolf came after Sesshomaru, but Sesshomaru easily dodged. He looked the youkai up and down. He had seen him once before.

Koga's attack missed and he turned back to Ssshomaru. They stared at each other for a minute, and Koga had a chance to calm down.

"Who are you?" Koga scoffed.

"I'm Koga, leader of the eastern wolf tribe. I want to know why Kagome accepted a mating proposal from you." Sesshomaru snapped to attention. This wolf knew Kagome.

"How do you know Kagome?" Koga stepped closer to Sesshomaru.

"I'm her friend, and I know enough to know that you're not her friend, at least I've never seen you with her." Sesshomaru turned his head to see two other wolf youkai come up behind Koga. Sesshomaru turned back to Koga.

"Why Kagome and I are in a mating ritual is none of your concern." Koga growled.

"I'm her friend! Of course it's my concern! Kagome and I have known each other for a long time, and I have a right to know why she's letting someone like you have a chance at mating her." Sesshomaru turned and began walking away. "Hey!" Koga tried to attack Sesshomaru again, but he dodged and punched Koga in the stomach.

Koga clutched his stomach and fell to the ground. Sesshomaru started to walk away again, but stopped.

"If you must know, the Flower of Fate brought Kagome and I together." Sesshomaru summoned his youkai cloud and flew away.

Ginta and Hakaku rushed to Koga's side. "Koga, are you hurt?" Koga coughed and stood. He looked to where Sesshomaru had flown off.

"That explains it. No wonder Kagome went with that jerk. There had to be a good reason." Koga suddenly realized what this meant. Kagome and Sesshomaru were bonded by the Flower of Fate, and even if Kagome rejected Sesshomaru, Koga still couldn't be her mate. Koga punched a tree. "Damn it!"

-End-

Hey! I hoped you all liked this chapter! I had a lot of requests for another youkai to come after Kagome, so I decided to put Koga in. I don't really know if his tribe is eastern or whatever, but that's what I decided to make it. I'm sorry to those of you who wanted to see Sesshomaru rescue Kagome, but it didn't make sense to me. He left Kagome trying to get as far away as possible, so it didn't make sense to me for him to suddenly appear and rescue her. Don't worry, I'll have him save her another day! Please review! Last chapter, I had no idea what I was going to do for the next chapter, but all of your reviews gave me ideas! It helped, and I would like you guys to keep reviewing for the future! Please please please review! Well, I gotta go! I'll try to put up the next chapter ASAP! Bye-Bye!


	21. Hatori, the Cat Hanyou

Sesshomaru looked up and down his castle. After traveling for three days, he was here. Sesshomaru hadn't been to his castle in years, but there were plenty of servants to take care of it.

The castle loomed over the land. Trees would seem like ants compared to it. The castle of the west was stronger and larger than any of the other castles, but that was only thanks to Sesshomaru's father, who had done as much as possible to make it the best castle in the land.

Sesshomaru entered the castle slowly and silently. The servants' eyes went wide at seeing their lord at the castle for the first time in years, but they all bowed in respect.

Sesshomaru went directly to his bedroom. He wanted to find something out.

He opened the door to his room and stepped in. It looked the same as it had the last time he had been here. There was an extremely large bed in the center, with a closet on the wall left of the door, a desk for reading and writing next to the bed, and a balcony across from the door.

Sesshomaru closed his door and stepped out onto the balcony. It overlooked a vast garden, which was filled with a variety of flowers and plants from all over the land. There was a large fountain in the center.

The air was filled with the scent of flowers. Despite it being close to autumn, the flowers still had a fresh, pleasing scent. There was a scent that reminded Sesshomaru of something, but he didn't know what it was, or where the scent was coming from.

Sesshomaru ignored it and stepped off the balcony. He looked around his room and found what he was looking for. There was a bookshelf on the right side of the closet door. Sesshomaru went up to the bookshelf and began browsing through the books until he found the one he wanted. He picked it out and looked it over. It was his father's journal.

His father had kept a journal of his daily activities, but most of it was about his respective duties as Lord of the West. When Sesshomaru's father had met his human mate, Inu Taishou had written more about her than anything else. After his death, Sesshomaru had obtained it.

Sesshomaru opened the journal and began reading through it.

_Today, I have met the most amazing and intriguing human! She fascinates me. I was out observing the west, making sure everything was in order, when I saw her. She was by a river, gazing at herself. She is beautiful! I descended from my youkai cloud to speak with her, and she was not frightened by me as a normal human would have been. As I spoke with her, I felt a strange feeling that I have not felt since I met Daisuke. This human's name is Izayoi. I have decided that I shall make her my mate. I have always secretly wondered what it would be like to have a hanyou child. But I have no intention of betraying my mate or my son, as they both mean the world to me. Especially Sesshomaru. He has his mother's cold disposition, but I know that somewhere in his heart he is kind. I believe I used to be like him until I met his mother. _

Sesshomaru was a little surprised. He had never read this exert before. He was disgusted by the fact that his father had thought that he could keep two mates, as Inu youkai are renowned fo their loyalty, but he had never known that his father thought he had kindness in him. Sesshomaru himself had never thought that he possessed kindness, but his father had thought so.

Sesshomaru closed the journal and put it back on the bookshelf. His father had loved his mother dearly, but she had never felt anything to him.

Daisuke was a cruel youkai. Sesshomaru had only known her to be cruel. She had always shunned him unless Inu Taishou was around, in which case she just ignored him. Sesshomaru had never known what his father had seen in her. She wasn't special. She looked like an average Inu youkai, and she didn't have any special abilities. She was a brat, and Sesshomaru didn't care for her at all. She wasn't even very strong. Sesshomaru had challenged her to a fight when his own powers hadn't even developed, and she had declined. Sesshomaru had caught fear in her scent. She had been afraid of her own son, for a reason unknown to Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru turned to his closet and opened it. There were many outfits in it, but they were all the same. They were all white kimonos with his family crest in red on the left shoulder and the ends of the sleeves. Sesshomaru wore them to show he was ruler of the west. Anything else would disgrace him, unless he was wearing a special training outfit, which he had not worn since he was young. Sesshomaru had often trained on his own, and the training outfit was only worn when training with someone else. A certain someone was brought to his mind. Sesshomaru began wondering how Kagome was.

It had been three days since he had left, and he estimated that it would take Kagome about five days to reach the castle. Rin and Shippo were probably chatting away, and Jaken might have been beaten by Kagome, or get beaten in the future if he didn't stay in his place. Sesshomaru shook his head. _Why am I worrying about her? She'll be fine. __**You're really stupid, you know that? **__What do you want? __**To bring you to your senses. Even if you don't like her, you have to admit that you have an emotional attachment to her. **__Nonsense. Why would I have an attachment to her? __**She's going to be your mate if things go well. Can't you just except this? It's pathetic, really. **__How dare you call me pathetic? __**Hey, I'd be doing this myself if I could, but when I take over, I can't help but act violent. She's been with you for a bit, you've had the chance to find out a little about her, and she's tried being nice to you. She'll be impressed when she sees this castle, and that will be your chance. **_

Sesshomaru went onto his balcony. Would Kagome be impressed by his castle? Even is she was, it wouldn't matter. This had been his father's work. _She will not like me any more for my castle. She told me herself that she desires someone who doesn't act 'stuck up.' Thinking she would be impressed by this would be acting that way, which would displease her, not that I care. __**Don't lie to yourself. You care, whether you like it or not. **_Sesshomaru ignored him. He would deal with his inner youkai later.

A knock suddenly came at the door. "Enter." A servant, a young male youkai, entered the room and bowed.

"My lord, there is something you must know. There is a young hanyou boy outside. He wishes to speak with you. He won't leave." Sesshomaru growled. It wasn't his brother, or he would know, so what hanyou dared to bother him? Every hanyou in the region knew that he hated hanyous. Sesshomaru was about to speak, but his inner youkai interrupted. _**Wait a minute! This could be a chance to get Kagome to like you more. **_Sesshomaru paused. _What do you mean? __**She had feelings for your brother, right? If you listen to what this hanyou boy wants, and Kagome hears of it, she may like you more. **__It would be deceiving her. I wouldn't be acting as I normally do. __**Kagome despises the normal you. Change will be good for the both of us. Just trust me. **_Sesshomaru thought about it for a minute.

"Bring him to the entrance hall. I shall be down in a minute." The servant nodded and quickly left the room. Sesshomaru looked out across the garden. There were many servants working to keep the garden in shape. Sesshomaru had ordered them to do so, for a reason he didn't know. It was something he had felt important to keep.

Sesshomaru broke from his musing and left his room. He walked down the halls of his castle, descended down several flights of stairs, and soon came to the entrance hall. The servant was waiting with a young hanyou boy. Sesshomaru looked the boy up and down. The boy was about the same age as Rin and Shippo. His hair was green like summer grass, and he had furry cat ears on the top of his head. His hair was tied back into a short pony-tail. He had a red stripe across his forehead. This was odd, since only youkai of royal decent, or female youkai that were being courted by a royal family member, had markings on their bodies. His clothes looked as if they may have been made of fine silk and had beautiful colors on them, but they were covered in mud and twigs. The hanyou boy bowed down to Sesshomaru.

"My lord, I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Hatori. I must speak with you." The boy raised his head to look at Sesshomaru.

Ssshomaru thought about it. "What is it that you, a hanyou, would need from someone such as myself?" Hatori shivered in fear.

"I must ask a favor of you. I have been separated from my village, and I don't know how to get back. I have lost track of my mother's scent. Your castle is so tall, I was able to find it easily. Please, I am simply a hanyou. I can't defend myself in the wild. I have already been attacked by several youkai, and I am lucky to have survived. I must know if the rumors are true. My mother told me that if something like this happened, I should try and find a certain priestess for help, and it is said that she has been traveling with you. Please, do you know where Lady Kagome is?" Sesshomaru looked at Hatori suspiciously. His mother knew about Kagome?

"How is it that your mother knows about Kagome?" Hatori's face brightened.

"Is she here?" Sesshomaru growled, and Hatori's face fell.

"Answer me before you ask more questions." Hatori stood up straight and tried to look brave.

"My mother was injured by a youkai, and Lady Kagome came to our village and helped her. My mother's life was saved. There are many legends about her all over the land. Her healing abilities are well known, as well as her fighting skills." Sesshomaru was surprised to hear this, though he didn't show it. He was the Lord of the West, and yet he had never heard of these things? _**You have heard, you just ignored it. **__What are you talking about? __**When you were traveling, before Kagome came with us, she was talked about all over. Many youkai and humans spoke of it, and with our youkai hearing, it was impossible to miss. You just never paid attention because you didn't care about her then. **_Sesshomaru stared at Hatori.

"Kagome is not with me now." Hatori looked disappointed. Sesshomaru thought about something for a minute. "However, she will be here in a few days. If you . . . if you would like to stay here until she arrives, I will have a servant make up a room for you." Hatori stared for a minute, then bowed down.

"Thank you so much, my lord! This is a great honor!" Sesshomaru turned to the servant.

"Prepare a room for him and give him clean clothes. He may come to dinner if he wishes, or else you will bring to food to his room." The servant nodded in response.

"Yes, my lord." The servant took Hatori's hand and led him down the halls to where the spare bedrooms were.

Sesshomaru watched the two leave. _I have never even invited a youkai to stay with me unless they were one of the other lords. __**I think Kagome is rubbing off on you. **__Be quiet. I have not changed in the least. He will die if he goes back out alone, and that would have defeated the purpose of allowing him to speak with me. __**Sure, you have excuses for everything. **_Sesshomaru ignored his inner youkai and proceeded back up to his room.

Sesshomaru entered his room to find a servant there. It was an older female youkai.

"Oh, my lord, I apologize." The servant bowed. "I was here to deliver a message, but you weren't here. I was about to leave. A few days ago, my husband was out collecting provisions for winter, and he met up with your ward, Rin, and your head servant, Jaken, along with Ah-Un and two other youkai. Jaken recognized my husband, and he asked that a message be delivered. He wants you to know that they will be arriving tomorrow. They have been flying on Ah-Un rather than walking, so it will not take them as long to reach the castle. Also, the female youkai, I believe she was called Kagome, she says that she has a few questions when she arrives." Sesshomaru stared at the servant for a minute.

_Kagome will be arriving earlier than I thought. Why have they decided to fly instead of walking? Perhaps it was the wolf youkai I met up with. He might have tried to mate Kagome. __**Well, duh! You take forever to realize these things. **_

Sesshomaru nodded to the servant, signaling that she could leave. The servant bowed and left the room. Sesshomaru went over to the balcony. He always went to the balcony to think. _If she returns tomorrow, it means that Kagome will have been in heat for four days, if it hasn't already left. It will probably be gone by the time she comes here. __**But you never know. **__Leave me alone. I need to think by myself. __**I'm part of you, so you're technically by yourself. **__Leave! _Sesshomaru's inner youkai laughed and disappeared into the depths of his mind. Sesshomaru looked into the sky, and for a second he thought he saw a brown blur flying in the air.

-End-

Hi!!!! Oh my god, I'm so sorry I took so long to update! My mom is freaking out because we have six relatives spending Christmas with us. The house is filthy, and none of the presents are wrapped, the tree isn't decorated, so it's all very hectic. I'll try to update sooner next time. I don't know why, but I thought this would be something nice to add to the story. I've always wanted to put a cat hanyou in one of my stories. I can just imagine a pair of cute ears on the top of his head! I'm excited! Whether he likes it or not, Sesshomaru is starting to have feelings for Kagome! I can't wait to write the next chapter, but with Christmas, I might not get to it. It took me forever just to write this chapter! Oh well. Since I probably won't be updating before Tuesday, Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas is wonderful! Luckily, not all of you have eleven people staying in one house (my household has five, plus the six that are coming equals eleven). Merry Christmas! Please please please review! Please! Call it a Christmas present for me! Please review, and Merry Christmas! Bye-Bye!


	22. Arriving at the Castle

Kagome watched in amazement as Sesshomaru's castle came into view. It was huge, even bigger than some of the skyscrapers she had seen back home.

The group was flying on Ah-Un. Ever since the incident with Koga, Kagome had decided that it was safer to fly. Kagome saw something on one of the many balconies on the castle. She squinted to try and see what it was, but it stepped off the balcony into a room. Kagome sniffed the air and found that Sesshomaru's scent was fairly close, but the scent of flowers was also in the air. It was strong, even when it was this close to autumn.

Kagome looked down and saw an enormous garden. There were flowers of every kind that were found in Japan. There were cobblestone paths that wound around the garden like a maze, and each path led to an extravagant fountain in the center. Kagome was surprised. The fountain was really a giant statue of an Inu youkai with a pool of water running beneath it. The Inu youkai looked familiar. His hair was pulled back into a pony-tail, and he wore huge plates of armor to protect his torso. There was a large object on his back that looked similar to the fur that Sesshomaru had on his shoulder. Kagome remembered how Inuyasha had once described what his mother had told him his father had looked like, and the statue fit most of the description, except Inuyasha had never mentioned his father having four swords. Kagome had thought he only had three.

Ah-Un descended from the air and landed gently on the ground. Everyone jumped down from his back and looked around.

"Yes! We're finally here!" Rin was ecstatic. She wanted to show Shippo every inch of the castle.

"It's so big. I always pictured the western castle as a big building, but never this big." Kagome took a few steps forward to have a better look. The front gate opened and a young woman stepped out. Kagome looked at the woman. She was a youkai. Kagome had learned how to differ between a youkai and a human's scent, but this woman's pointed ears and orange hair were enough to give it away.

"Welcome, all of you. We have been expecting you. Your rooms have been prepared and dinner is in two hours. Master Shippo, you will share a room with Miss Rin." Rin smiled at Shippo and led him into the castle to show him where their room was.

The woman turned to Jaken. "Master Jaken, Sesshomaru has commanded that you put Ah-Un away and take care of any problems in the castle until dinner." Jaken grumbled and took Ah-Un's reins to put him away.

The woman smiled at Kagome. "Lady Kagome, I will show you to your room to prepare you for dinner. Lord Sesshomaru wishes to speak with you after dinner is finished." Kagome nodded, and the woman didn't waste any time going back into the castle to show Kagome where her room was.

Kagome followed the woman as she looked around the halls of the castle. It was even more beautiful on the inside than it was on the outside. There were tapestries of various battles, people, and castles. Kagome assumed that most of the people in the tapestries were relatives of Sesshomaru. One tapestry in particular caught her attention. Kagome stopped to look at it.

It was a tapestry of three Inu youkai. There was a small boy in the middle. Kagome took a closer look and realized that it was Sesshomaru. _Oh my gosh. He looks so different. _It wasn't just because Sesshomaru was young in the tapestry. He was smiling. Kagome had never in her life pictured Sesshomaru being able to smile. The boy in the picture was smiling as if he had just opened a present for his birthday that he had been wanting for a long time.

To the left of young Sesshomaru was a tall male youkai. He looked like the statue on the fountain that Kagome had seen outside. He had a regal look to him. His hair was silver, like Sesshomaru's, and his eyes were gold. He had a single blue stripe on each cheek and a purple crescent moon on his forehead. His kimono top was blue with a purple mark on the shoulder. Kagome stared at it. It looked familiar. _It looks like the crest on the shoulder of Sesshomaru's shirt. Maybe it's a family crest. _

The third person was a female youkai. Kagome didn't like the look of her. She looked smug, as if she thought she was the most important person in the world. Her hair was in a pony-tail, and she had one magenta stripe on each cheek. Her kimono had many layers, and had a mark on the shoulder as well, but her mark was green.

"My lady, we must keep going." Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and looked toward the woman who had been leading her until she had stopped.

"Oh, of course. Excuse me. I didn't mean to stop for so long." Kagome walked up to the woman and smiled. The woman turned back and began leading her again.

"You were looking at a tapestry that was made many years ago. It is a picture of the lord when he was young, and his parents. I haven't seen the lord smile like he did back then for years. I sometimes wish he would smile again, but he has grown cold, especially since his mother left. I believe that he hated his mother, but he's more like her than he thinks. They both have cold personalities, and both of them hate humans. Sometimes I wonder if Lord Inu Taishou was really Sesshomaru's father, but then I remember the crescent moon mark and forget my doubts." The woman shook her head. "I apologize, my lady. I occasionally forget my place as a servant and talk without thinking." Kagome walked up to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine. I like talking to people, and you needn't address me as lady. My name is just Kagome." The woman stared for a minute and smiled.

"Thank you. No one has ever been that kind to me before." The woman stopped smiling and looked at Kagome's face. "You have the crescent moon mark. The rumors must be true." Kagome furrowed her eyebrows.

"Rumors? What rumors?" The woman turned to look ahead and watch where she was going.

"Although Lord Sesshomaru informed the servants that you would be coming, he did not say why. Many of the servants believed that he was courting you." Kagome tilted her head in question.

"Courting? You mean the mating ritual?" The woman nodded.

"Yes. Courting is another word for it. I was surprised, to say the least. Lord Sesshomaru has never been social. He rarely speaks unless it is necessary, and he isn't around the castle much, as apposed to a normal lord, who would be around the castle as much as possible to keep things in check. To find out that he proposed a mating ritual to any female at all is a surprise." Kagome looked down. _He didn't propose. It was kind of forced on us. _

"He didn't propose a mating ritual. I found a Flower of Fate." The woman looked at Kagome in shock.

"A Flower of Fate? I have only heard of them in legends. I suppose it would explain it a bit. Tell me, do you love Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome looked up and her went open wide.

"No! No, of course not. I mean, we barely know each other. We've met before, but . . . he was only there to fight his brother. I never pictured us as a couple, and it's hard to like him when he was always fighting his brother." The woman looked puzzled.

"Did you have something to do with him fighting his brother?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, I was there because . . . I used to love his brother." Kagome shook her head violently. "But I'm over him. His brother was a jerk who hurt me too many times." The woman stopped in front of a door. Kagome stopped and looked at the door. It was fairly large, and had sakura designs on it. The woman opened the door and led Kagome inside. "Oh my . . ."

The room was jade green with sakura painted on the wall. The bed was large, and it was colored purple with blue roses on it, with a canopy of the same color hanging over it. There was a closet on the left side of the room. Next to the bed was a desk with a quill pen and paper, and on the other side was a vanity case. On the right side of the room was a changing screen to dress behind, and another door. Across from the entrance door was a bookshelf, and next to that was a door that led out to a balcony. Kagome could only stare.

"Do you like it?" Kagome could hardly speak.

"This . . . this is too much. I've never had such a nice room." The woman smiled.

"The first thing we need to do is give you a bath." The woman went to the door by the changing screen and opened it. Kagome walked in and gasped.

The door led to the biggest hot spring that Kagome had ever seen. The steam filled the room and made Kagome pant. She had been wearing a sweater since it was getting cold out, but it was a bad idea in this room. Next to the spring was a shelf filled with lotions and soap to use for washing.

The woman stepped in and closed the door. "Get in." Kagome turned to her.

"Before I do, I want you to tell me your name." The woman stared for a minute and smiled.

"My name is Koneko." Kagome nodded and began undressing. Once she was in the water, Koneko grabbed some soap and lotions and bent over the edge. She put some special lotion in her hand and began washing Kagome's hair. Kagome relaxed in the water and sighed.

"It been so long since I had a nice, relaxing bath. We were flying almost nonstop to reach the castle." Koneko finished washing her hair and put some soap on a washcloth and began washing Kagome's body.

"I wonder why the Flower of Fate chose Lord Sesshomaru to go with you. I may not know you very well yet, but I know what Lord Sesshomaru is like, and he doesn't seem like your type. You seem very nice and kind, and that is the opposite of Lord Sesshomaru. You also said that you loved his brother, and it may be hard to like him if he is related to your previous love." Kagome sighed.

"That does make it harder, but I think my love for his brother was one-sided. He was always running off to some other woman." Koneko looked at Kagome with sympathy.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I myself don't know what it's like. I've never been in love." Koneko continued washing Kagome until she felt that she was clean enough. Koneko stood and put the soap and lotions away. "I'll be right back. I need to get you a kimono to wear. You may dry off while you're waiting." Kagome stepped out of the water and dried off as well as she could. _This is so strange. I'm not used to having people wait on me hand and foot when I can do it myself. I'm not sure I like it. _

Koneko returned with a kimono and laid it out for Kagome. Kagome gasped. It was beautiful. The kimono was a light shade of purple with dragons and phoenixes sewn in with red and gold string. The inside pattern was stripes of green, red, yellow and orange alternating in that order with the same dragons and phoenixes sewn in. Koneko had also brought an under kimono to wear, along with a pair of socks and sandals. "We can't have you wearing those strange clothes at dinner. Lord Sesshomaru would never allow it." Koneko proceeded to dress Kagome, much to Kagome's protest, and led her back into the bedroom.

"I don't want to seem rude, but I'm capable of dressing myself." Koneko giggled and went to the vanity case. She opened the drawer and set some make-up on top.

"Sit here so I can do your make-up." Kagome paused for a minute.

"I can do my own make-up. You don't need to do it for me." Koneko simply pointed to the stool in front of the vanity case. Kagome sighed and sat on the stool. Koneko picked up a brush and began brushing Kagome's hair.

"Kagome, it's my job as a servant to do things for those above me in social status. Since Lord Sesshomaru is courting you, it means that you are above everyone except Lord Sesshomaru and the other lords of the land in status. I am below you, and that means that I have to do things for you, such as bathing you, dressing you, and making you presentable for meals and special occasions." Kagome groaned.

"I know you mean well, Koneko, but I like to do things on my own. I'm used to it. I travel around the country trying to defeat an evil youkai. I've never had servants before. I can't even convince my little brother to get me a glass of water." Koneko nearly burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, but that was a bit too funny. Kagome, I live here in the castle, and in exchange I serve the lord and his guests. I've done it most of my life. You don't need to worry about it. How would you like your hair done?" Kagome paused and looked in the mirror. She had always worn her hair down, and had never really worried about it.

"I'm not sure. You can do it any way you think would be best." Koneko smiled and began styling Kagome's hair. She brushed her hair back and used a string to tie it back into a pony-tail. She nodded in approval and looked in the mirror.

"Even when your hair is in a simple pony-tail, it makes you look much better. Turn around so I can do your make-up." Kagome turned around and Koneko began putting make-up on. She didn't put on much. She put a little purple eyeshadow on, and lightly applied red lipstick. She took the blush and carefully dabbed it on Kagome's face so there was just enough to make her skin glow.

Koneko took one last look. "Okay, I think I'm done. Look in the mirror." Kagome turned to looked in the mirror, and her eyes flew open.

Kagome had never worn make-up before, because she thought it wasn't necessary, but now that she had it on, she looked gorgeous. Kagome touched her hand to the mirror. "Is that really me?" Koneko couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, it is. Why do seem so surprised?" Kagome looked back at Koneko.

"I've never really taken a good look in the mirror before, and I've never worn make-up in my entire life." Koneko smiled.

"You look beautiful. You're one of the lucky people who are naturally beautiful, but just a little make-up brings out your features so you look even better." Kagome looked back in the mirror. She couldn't believe that the person on the mirror was the same person. She didn't look that good. "Well, it's about time for dinner. Follow me." Koneko stood and opened the door. Kagome stared at the mirror for another minute until she stood and followed Koneko out.

Koneko led Kagome down the halls of the castle. Kagome tried to memorize the way so she wouldn't get lost on the way back, but it became too complicated, and she gave up. As they walked on, Kagome noticed the scent of food, and it became stronger as they kept going. Soon, they reached a large door. "Here we are." Koneko opened the door and Kagome walked inside. "Presenting, Lady Kagome." Kagome's heart quickened as the people in the room turned to look at her. She noticed Sesshomaru sitting at the head of the table. Rin was on his right, and Shippo was on the other side of Rin. Both of them had new, fancier looking clothes on. Jaken was a few seats down from Shippo, and grumbling. Jaken would have sat on Sesshomaru's left, but as his future mate, Kagome was to sit there, and Jaken had been moved down quite a bit.

Kagome saw that the chair on Sesshomaru's left was empty. Sesshomaru nodded to the chair, and Kagome walked over and sat down. There were many different youkai that were seated around the table. Next to Kagome was a little boy with green hair and cat ears on his head. Kagome was surprised. _That boy is a hanyou. Why is Sesshomaru letting him stay in the castle? _The boy smiled at Kagome.

"Lady Kagome, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time. My name is Hatori." Kagome was confused. She had never seen this boy before, so how did he know her?

"Pleased to meet you, Hatori. I guess you already know my name." Kagome smiled at the boy. He seemed nice enough.

"Kagome, I see that your heat has ended." Kagome blushed a little. It wasn't nice of Sesshomaru to mention something like that in public.

"It left sometime yesterday. Sesshomaru, this is a very nice castle. It's much bigger than I expected. I saw a glimpse of the garden, and it looks beautiful. I saw so many flowers." Sesshomaru nodded in response. He looked at Kagome and was taken back.

To say that Sesshomaru was surprised was an understatement. He was devastated. Kagome looked stunning. Her hair was tied up in a pony-tail to show more of face, which was glowing because of the make-up she had on. The kimono was made of fine silk, and even when she was sitting, he could see how the kimono hugged her figure and showed off her curves.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru stopped and looked to Rin.

"What is it?" Rin looked worried.

"You were staring at Kagome. Are you all right?" Sesshomaru nodded. After a few minutes, servants began bringing in plates and setting them on the table. Kagome had never seen so much food in her life. She had to hold herself back so she wouldn't take all of it. It was common courtesy to let the person at the head of the table eat before anyone else. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru took a sip of tea, signaling that everyone else could eat. Everyone at the table began putting food onto their plates, and Kagome slowly began taking food. She took a little rice and put it into a small bowl, two small fish with soy sauce poured over them, and a dumpling. Kagome ate carefully and politely. She didn't want to offend Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome with curiosity. She ate as carefully as she could so she wouldn't risk spilling her food. Sesshomaru himself never ate anything. Only once every few months did he eat for nourishment. Most youkai were strong enough to sustain strength without eating for a while, but many of those that could chose to eat regularly anyway. Sesshomaru only drank tea during meals.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, and he quickly turned away. _Why am I so fascinated in her? __**Oh my god, you still don't get it? **__What are you talking about? __**You like Kagome. **__That's ridiculous. __**You're an idiot! You may not love her, but you at least consider her a friend. **_Sesshomaru ignored his inner youkai. Ever since yesterday, he had been rambling on and on about how Sesshomaru really felt for Kagome. Sesshomaru was convinced that Kagome was only important because the Flower of Fate had forced them together, and that he felt nothing for her.

Kagome cautiously ate her food. Sesshomaru had been watching her for the past few minutes, and he looked away every time she looked up. "Um, Sesshomaru, is there something I can help you with? I don't like you staring." Sesshomaru looked away casually. Kagome went back to eating, but she watched Sesshomaru out of the corner of her eye. _Why is he watching me like this? It's creeping me out. __**I think he likes you. **_Kagome frowned. She hadn't heard from her inner youkai in a while. _That's silly. He doesn't like me. __**Then why is he watching you? Come on, stupid. You have to admit that, even if he doesn't like you, you like him a little. **__No way! He's okay, I guess, but he's not really my friend or anything. I don't know him very well because he hardly ever talks. _Kagome's inner youkai sneered and disappeared.

Dinner continued without much conversation, at least there was no conversation between Sesshomaru and Kagome. Rin and Shippo talked to each other as usual, but they also talked to Hatori. He was nice, and enjoyed their company. Kagome couldn't help but wonder how he knew who she was.

After dinner was finished, the servants took away the empty plates and most of the people around the table left. Rin took Shippo and Hatori and rushed off. Soon, Kagome and Sesshomaru were the only ones left. Kagome shifted nervously in her seat.

"Come with me." Sesshomaru stood and Kagome followed him out. Sesshomaru walked down the halls with Kagome following close behind. Kagome tried to keep close, but not close enough to annoy Sesshomaru. She wasn't in the mood for a fight.

Kagome was determined to stay positive. She had a few questions to ask Sesshomaru, and she didn't know what his answers, or his reactions, would be.

They soon came to a stop. Sesshomaru opened a door and Kagome followed him into a room. She looked around what appeared to be a study. There was a desk for writing, a quill pen and an ink bottle, and many books piled around. Sesshomaru turned to Kagome. "I was told that you have some questions for me. What are they?" Kagome tried to think.

"Yes, I have a few questions. My first question is, why is that boy Hatori here?" Sesshomaru looked to the side.

"He showed up here yesterday. He asked for you, but you weren't here, so I allowed him to stay." Kagome found this a bit hard to believe.

"Why did you let him stay? You could have shoved him outside for him to wait until I came." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. Her kimono really did show off her curves. "Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru came out of his thoughts.

"If he had left the castle, he would have been killed. He is just a child, and he can't protect himself. If he had died, it would have defeated the purpose of letting him speak to me in the first place, and if you had found out about that, I would have had to prepare for another one of your attacks. I will not have a repeat of what happened at your home." Kagome remembered that incident. She had sent both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha flying.

"I'm sorry. I was angry, but I hadn't meant to do that. I should have apologized earlier. I'll talk to Hatori later. My second question is, how many steps are in the mating ritual? I want to know, so I have an idea of when I'm near the end." Sesshomaru hadn't expected her to ask that. He had already told her it was best not to know about the third step until the second step was done, so he had thought she wouldn't ask anymore questions about it until then.

"There are normally five steps, but in a royal mating ritual, there are six. An extra step is added for a certain reason." Kagome nodded. Sesshomaru had already told her that he wasn't going to tell her what the third step was until they were done with step two, so she decided not to ask what the rest of the steps were.

"My third question is, would you mind training me?" Sesshomaru was surprised. She wanted him to train her? "My youkai powers are still new to me. I was hoping that you could teach me to control them more. I'm hoping that if my youkai powers are in control, my miko powers will settle. My miko energy has been more active since I've turned into a youkai, and I don't like not having control over my powers. You're not the only one who doesn't want a repeat of what I did before." Sesshomaru thought about it. It would prevent another fiasco from Kagome's powers, and would raise her strength. She would need her strength for step five in the mating ritual. _**And it will give both of you a chance to get to know each other better. **__Be quiet and leave me in peace. _Sesshomaru looked directly at Kagome. Her blue eyes shone with anticipation for his answer.

"I will train you if you agree to listen to anything and everything I say when we train." Kagome paused a moment and nodded.

"I agree. I will listen to you while we train. I have one last question. Why, in the statue of your father in the garden, does he have four swords? I thought that he only had three." Sesshomaru looked down. That was a question he couldn't answer.

"I can't tell you now, but I may tell you some other day. If that was your last question, then you may leave and go to bed. You will need your rest, as we will wake up early for training tomorrow." Kagome nodded and opened the door.

"I'll see you in the morning." Kagome closed the door, and Sesshomaru listened to her footsteps fade away. _**I bet anything that she gets lost and has to come back here. **_Sesshomaru stood there for a minute, and soon he heard Kagome coming back. The door slowly slid open and Kagome poked her head inside. "Sorry, but I can't find my way back to my room. Could you help?" Sesshomaru walked out and led Kagome back to her room.

-End-

Hooray, hooray, hooray!!!!! Over 300 reviews! Thank you so much! This means a ton! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!! I'm so happy! I hope you guys liked this chapter. Sorry about the end when Kagome had to go back because she was lost. I thought you guys might want a little comic relief after such a serious chapter. I made this chapter extra long to thank you for so many reviews, and as I did before, I am asking you to please help me reach my new goal, 400. You guys have all been so loyal in reading my story. I really appreciate it! Thanks so much! Thank you! I'll try to put up the next chapter A.S.A.P. Remember, help me reach my new goal of 400 reviews! Thank you, and bye-bye!


	23. Training Begins

Kagome heard a familiar voice waking her from her sleep. Kagome groaned and tried to stay asleep as long as she could. She didn't want to wake up.

"Kagome, you have to get up." Koneko shook Kagome's shoulder. The last essence of sleep left her, and she looked up from her pillow to see who had woken her up. Koneko sat next to her bed looking worried. "Kagome, Lord Sesshomaru is requesting to see you. It's time for your training." Kagome groaned and turned over.

"I don't want to wake up." Koneko shook Kagome again.

"Lord Sesshomaru will have to drag you to the dojo himself." Kagome grumbled and sat up. She looked around her room. There was hardly any light coming in the window, which meant it was early. There was a small candle on the ground next to Koneko. Kagome rubbed her eyes and slowly stood. Koneko opened the closet and began going through it.

"Koneko, why do I have to get up so early for training?" Kagome stretched and yawned.

"Lord Sesshomaru wants you to train before breakfast. If you train after you've eaten, you'll most likely throw up. It's not good to put stress on the body after eating." Kagome cringed. She hated it when she had stomach aches. Koneko finished going through the closet and brought out a piece of clothing. Kagome looked at it curiously. Koneko held it up for her to see.

The clothing was a kimono, but the hem was cut short, and there was a pair of short pants to wear underneath. The kimono was black, with a red dagger pattern, and the pants were the same shade of black. Kagome went over to Koneko and gently picked up the fabric. It was made of something that was comfortable enough to wear, but sturdy enough to withstand quite a bit of damage.

"I've never seen anything like this before. Is it a training outfit?" Koneko nodded.

"It's made to wear when you're training with someone else. If you're training by yourself, it doesn't matter what you wear, but with someone else, it's customary to wear something like this. The hem of the kimono is cut short for movement, and the pants are used to cover up your legs, since it's starting to become cold out." Kagome ran her hands over the kimono.

"Why are there daggers on it?" Koneko looked at the kimono for a minute.

"I'm not sure. I think it's supposed to signal that the outfit is for severe training." Kagome went behind the changing screen and put on the outfit. The kimono hugged her body, but it was loose enough for her to move around. The pants were loose and flowing, and came to her mid-foreleg. Kagome stepped out from behind the screen.

"Kagome, you look great. Let me do your hair so it's not in the way." Before Kagome could object, Koneko had done her hair in a tight bun, with a few hairs springing out. Kagome frowned and looked out the window. It was still as dark as it had been a few minutes ago.

"Where is the dojo you talked about?" Koneko opened the door.

"I'll show you. Lord Sesshomaru should be waiting for you." Koneko left the room with Kagome following close behind. The castle seemed even more confusing than it had last night. Kagome wondered how anyone could know their way around a place like this. Her memories were brought back to last night, when she had asked Sesshomaru to guide her back to her room. As it turned out, Sesshomaru's room was right next to Kagome's, so that Sesshomaru could protect her more easily if something happened in the middle of the night. At least, that was the way Sesshomaru had put it.

Koneko stopped and turned to Kagome. "This is the dojo. Lord Sesshomaru will probably be sitting in the center of the room, as is customary among youkai when training. The master sits in the center while he waits for his pupil. I have work to do, so I'll be going. I hope your training goes well." Koneko bowed and left the area. Kagome watched her go, and looked at the door in front of her. She slowly opened it and went inside.

oOo

Sesshomaru sat in the center of the dojo, going through his father's journal. He had found an interesting exert while waiting for Kagome.

_The Flower of Fate is a strange plant. Izayoi claims to have found it the day before we met, and she says that no one else who has tried to pick it up can touch it. I tried to do so, and nothing happened to me. Izayoi said that it had shocked other people. I went to my library and found out that the Flower of Fate tells a female youkai that she is about to find her mate, and who her mate is. The book I read about the flower says that if a human finds it, that it means that the human is to mate a youkai, but humans almost never find one. Also, it said that if the Flower of Fate is found by a miko, then . . . _

The sound of the door opening forced Sesshomaru to stop reading and put the journal down. Kagome entered the dojo and looked at Sesshomaru. He was wearing an outfit that resembled her's, only it was designed for a male. Kagome looked around the dojo. It was large, possibly big enough to hold Sesshomaru in his true form, and there were weapons lined along the walls. There were swords, daggers, spears, bows and arrows, and many other weapons that Kagome didn't even recognize.

Sesshomaru looked Kagome up and down. The training outfit suited her. Sesshomaru placed the journal aside, stood, and walked over to Kagome. "It is time to start your training." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru.

"Wait a minute, what is that book you just put down?" Kagome pointed to the journal on the ground. Sesshomaru glanced toward it.

"It is my father's journal. It does not concern you." Kagome looked at the journal again before turning her attention to Sesshomaru.

"All right, let's start training. What should we do first?" Sesshomaru thought about it for a minute. It would be best to start with something simple.

"Every youkai has one or two powers that are unique to themselves. My unique power is my poison claws. You have a unique power as well, but I do not know what it is. Since you are an Inu youkai, you should have the same abilities every other Inu youkai has. We will start with the most simple, the whip of light." Kagome remembered seeing Sesshomaru use his whip of light before.

"I remember that. How do I use that?" Sesshomaru looked around the dojo. It would be best if they practiced this outside. Although Kagome was new with her powers, the whip of light was powerful and had a far range. An empty area in the forest would serve better.

"We should go outside. It will be safer that way." Sesshomaru turned and walked to the back of the dojo. Kagome watched with curiosity as Sesshomaru placed his hand on the wall. To her surprise, part of the wall opened up like a door, and Sesshomaru walked through the door. Kagome quickly followed and found that the door led outside. Sesshomaru closed the door and began walking towards the gate that surrounded the castle. Kagome followed him across the grass and watched Sesshomaru jump over the gate. Kagome did the same and continued following him until they were in a large clearing.

"Why do we have to leave the castle?" Sesshomaru turned to Kagome.

"The whip of light is a powerful move, even if you haven't used it yet. I do not want to risk damaging my castle." Kagome nodded in understanding.

"I see your point. Now, how do I use the whip of light?" Sesshomaru tried to remember how he had first done it. He had been doing it for so many years that it just came naturally to him now. Sesshomaru concentrated, and he slowly began to remember how his father had taught him to use his powers.

"I will show you once, but only once, and then I want you to try it." Kagome nodded, and Sesshomaru began. He had to do it slowly so Kagome could see what he was doing. Sesshomaru extended his right arm out to the side and focused. His hand began to glow an eerie green color, and Sesshomaru began moving his arm. He moved his arm up, then down, and a whip appeared and slashed a tree on Sesshomaru's right. Kagome watched in amazement as Sesshomaru did a pivot on his heel and slashed another set of trees. He suddenly stopped and relaxed his arm. The whip disappeared. Kagome looked at the poor trees that had been destroyed.

"You want me to do that? All right, I'll try my best." Kagome did as Sesshomaru had done and extended her right arm to the side. She closed her eyes and focused all of her energy, and, to Sesshomaru's surprise, her hand began to glow blue. Kagome focused her energy and tried to bring it to her hand. Her hand began glowing fiercely with energy. Suddenly, the world became lost to Kagome. Everything went blank.

Kagome couldn't hear the sounds of the animals in the forest, or the wind that blew around her. Kagome, as if something was guiding her, began to move around, and a whip appeared from her hand, but Kagome didn't use it to destroy anything. Instead, she began to move as is she were dancing. She spun the whip around her as if it was a ribbon, and she gracefully moved her feet, leaping and spinning in a way that most people would have had to practice for years to accomplish.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome began dancing to music that only she could hear. She spun the whip and moved around the clearing more gracefully than Sesshomaru had ever seen anyone else do. Kagome picked up speed, and he watched as she twirled the whip above her head while spinning on one leg. Sesshomaru was surprised at how well she was doing for her first time, and all with her eyes closed. He would have expected her to crash into something by now. He soon found himself entranced by her dance, unable to look away.

Kagome twirled and leapt as she had seen ballet dancers do back home, but in a way she had only dreamed of doing. Kagome had never considered herself a good dancer, but now she was dancing better than she could have imagined, with her eyes closed and a powerful light whip in her hand. Kagome could envision each step just before she took it, as if a strange force was instructing her. She began twirling the whip above her head while spinning in the front of her left foot. It felt like she was on air. Kagome suddenly felt the force that had been guiding her, telling her something new. Kagome obeyed the force, whatever it was, and stopped spinning, while still twirling the whip. She focused and brought the whip down with more force than she knew she had.

Sesshomaru was surprised when he saw Kagome stop. She continued twirling the whip, but suddenly brought it down with extreme force. The whip came down on the trees in the forest, and there was a bright flash. Sesshomaru closed his eyes to avoid being blinded. When he opened his eyes, half of the forest was gone.

Kagome opened her eyes, and they widened at what she saw. Hundreds of trees were reduced to almost nothing. The grass was gone, with only a few blades left. Kagome had destroyed an extremely large portion of the forest. "I . . . I did that?" Kagome's head suddenly felt light, and her body went limp.

Sesshomaru could hardly believe what Kagome had done. He had never been able to do that when he had first tried using the whip of light. Of course, he had been young then, but Kagome had never used it before. Sesshomaru stared at what used to be the forest for another minute when he noticed Kagome acting strange. He looked over to her and saw her body go limp. He quickly ran over and managed to catch her before she fell. Sesshomaru suddenly felt something strange. He was holding Kagome up with his right arm, and it was somewhat difficult without his left arm, but as he held her, a strange feeling came over him. He had never come close to holding a female like this. Kagome looked peaceful like this, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but stare. He quickly shook his head to try and rid himself of any thoughts like that.

Sesshomaru lifted Kagome up as best as he could with one arm and brought her back inside the dojo. He wasn't surprised that Kagome had fainted after something like that. He laid Kagome down on a mat in the corner of the dojo and patiently waited for her to wake up.

oOo

Kikyo watched as Sesshomaru struggled to carry Kagome back into the dojo. Her plan had worked.

Kikyo had discovered that as a ghost, she had new and interesting powers. One of those powers was that she could take away a person's energy and make them faint. Kikyo had been watching over Kagome, and after Kagome had asked Sesshomaru to train her, Kikyo had devised a plan, and it had worked.

Kikyo had planned to wait until Kagome had trained for a while or done something exhausting, and if she didn't faint on her own, which Kikyo didn't think she would do since Kagome was fairly strong, she would make her faint so that Sesshomaru would have to catch her. It would bring them closer physically, even if it didn't bring them closer emotionally, which Kikyo was sure that it had, at least a little. She had seen the expression on Sesshomaru's face when he had held Kagome.

As Sesshomaru carried Kagome back, Kikyo followed them. Once inside the dojo, Sesshomaru set Kagome down on a matt and waited for her to wake up.

Kikyo decided to use another power that she had discovered while being a ghost. As a ghost, she could walk through solid objects and such, but she could also read a person's thoughts by walking through them. Kikyo walked into Sesshomaru and read his thoughts.

_Why did I feel so strange when I held Kagome? She fainted and I simply caught her. I do not see what's so special about that. __**You're a moron, an idiot, and an imbecile all put together. **__How dare you insult me! __**Oh, please, you can't do anything to me. I'm insulting you because it's true. You're too stupid to realize your own feelings. Admit it, you thought holding Kagome like that was the best thing in the world. **__She is just another woman. Catching her when she fainted was not important or significant to me in any way. _

Kikyo was amused at the way Sesshomaru fought with his inner youkai. An inner youkai is the inner thoughts and feelings of a youkai, and usually thought completely opposite of the youkai in which they dwelled. She passed through Sesshomaru, and his thoughts faded from her mind. She looked at him and noticed how troubled he looked. She smirked, and realized that bringing Sesshomaru and Kagome together was going to be much more fun than she had first thought.

-End-

Hi! I hope you liked this chapter! I haven't had Kikyo in the story for a while, so I decided to put her in this chapter. Remember, Kagome fainted because of Kikyo, not because of what she did to the forest. I don't know about you, but I don't blame Sesshomaru for staring at Kagome while he was holding her. I'm getting sick and tired of him denying his own feelings, but I have to drag it on for a while longer. Don't worry, Kagome will start feeling the same very soon. Please review! I would love it so much if you reviewed! Just click the button, please! Anyway, I have to go. I'll try to put up the next chapter soon. Bye!


	24. A Terrible Fight

Kagome groaned and opened her eyes. She looked around and saw Sesshomaru reading his father's journal. She noticed that she was on a mat in the dojo. _What happened? I remember the forest, or what was left of it after I used my whip of light. _Kagome sat up and looked at Sesshomaru.

"What happened to me?" Sesshomaru looked up and put the journal down.

"You fainted after using your powers. I brought you back here." Kagome blushed and looked away. _I fainted? Damn it! I thought I was stronger than that! And I did it in front of Sesshomaru, too! Wait, why do I care what Sesshomaru thinks? __**You have got to be kidding me. You still don't get it? You like him! It's the simplest thing ever! **__I don't like him! _

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru and saw he was reading his father's journal again. "Sesshomaru, what's so fascinating about that journal?" Sesshomaru looked up again.

"I am trying to find out something about the Flower of Fate, but you cut me off when you came in a few hours ago. I was reading about what happens to a miko if she finds the flower, but I am having trouble finding where I left off." Kagome was surprised. How did Sesshomaru's father know about the Flower of Fate?

"Wait, a few hours ago? We were only training for a short time. How long was I unconscious?"

"As I said, a few hours. I am not surprised. You destroyed most of the forest." Kagome looked at her right hand. She had demolished a huge part of the forest, and she had hardly tried. Kagome had never doubted her power, but this was shocking.

"Are we going to continue training?" Sesshomaru put the journal down and stood.

"I think it would be best if we stopped for today. Would you like help going back to your room?" Kagome looked up at him. He was offering to help her?

"No, I think I can manage." Kagome tried to stand, but fell back on the mat.

Sesshomaru tucked the journal in his sleeve and picked up Kagome like he had before. "What are you doing? I said I could manage." Kagome struggled against his grip, but Sesshomaru held firm.

"A male shall protect the female as part of the mating ritual." Kagome stilled as he said this. He was trying to protect her because of the mating ritual. Kagome sighed. She didn't even like Sesshomaru, but she was following a mating ritual with him. It didn't make sense to her. She had let a flower control her decisions. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. He had a serious expression on his face.

"All right, fine. I don't like being carried, though. I'm only letting you do this because I'm still dizzy from fainting." Sesshomaru walked across the dojo and out the door, carefully holding Kagome.

Kagome watched Sesshomaru's face as he carried her. He looked different when she was looking at him like this. Kagome felt Sesshomaru adjust his grip. _It must be difficult with only one arm. I wish there was something I could do. __**Do you want to help him because you like him? **__What? No, of course not. I feel bad for him. I've always felt bad for people who are hurt. __**Fine, don't listen to me! **_Kagome looked at what was left of his left arm. It was hidden under his sleeve. Kagome reached out and lightly touched it. Sesshomaru froze and looked down at her.

"What are you doing?" Kagome pulled back and looked at him.

"I just . . . nothing. I don't know what I was thinking. I was wondering . . . is it hard with only one arm?" Sesshomaru thought about it and continued walking.

"I have become used to it. Why do you want to know?"

"I was curious. Your brother was only defending himself, but I'm sure it hurt when he cut off your arm." Kagome shook her head as she realized how that sounded. "I mean, I feel sorry for you. I hate to see when people, human or good youkai, are hurt. It's against my nature not to feel sorry for innocent people to be injured. Although, you were trying to hurt your brother." Sesshomaru listened while Kagome argued with herself, not really talking to him anymore. _Why does she care about mu injuries? I lost my arm years ago. __**Maybe she cares about you. **__She doesn't care for me. She objected to being carried. __**Because she thinks she can do it herself. It doesn't mean that she doesn't care for you. She wants to know if your life is hard with one arm, and she also said that she only cares when 'good' youkai are hurt. At least that shows that she doesn't still think you're evil. **_Sesshomaru hadn't noticed this.

"Kagome, what do you mean by 'good youkai'?" Kagome stopped talking. She hadn't thought when she had said that.

"Well, I'm not concerned when evil youkai are hurt, but youkai that don't mean any harm don't deserve to be hurt."

"You asked me about me arm. Do you consider me 'good'?" Kagome thought about it for a minute. _**This is your chance! Tell Sesshomaru what you think of him! I know you like him, at least a little! Tell him before your chance slips by! **_Kagome was fed up with her inner youkai.

"I don't really think you're evil . . . I suppose I think of you as a friend. Maybe not a friend, more of an acquaintance or something. I'm not sure." _**No! That is not what I meant! **__I said how I feel. Sesshomaru isn't my friend, but he's more than an acquaintance, so I'm not really sure. __**I'm going to tell you one thing. You like him! It's not like you love him, but you at least like him! **__Leave me alone. I'm tired of you harassing me_.

Sesshomaru thought about what Kagome had said. She sounded like she liked him and didn't like him at the same time. What was she trying to say?

"Kagome, what do you mean? I want a direct answer." Kagome glared at him.

"Excuse me, but I don't like being ordered around! I've told you that I don't like people who are stuck up! If you want a direct answer, you can ask me nicely!" Kagome struggled against Sesshomaru. She didn't want to be carried by someone who was this rude to her.

"Here is your room." Sesshomaru opened the door to Kagome's room and practically dropped her on her bed. "I will be in my room. Call Koneko if you need anything." Sesshomaru walked out of the room and, to Kagome's surprise, slammed the door shut. Kagome cringed as the door slammed.

Kagome stood and rubbed her back, where she had landed when Sesshomaru had thrown her on the bed. "I'm going to kill Sesshomaru for throwing me like that. Why did he have to be so rude? Who am I kidding? I don't think Sesshomaru will ever be nice enough for me to like him!" Kagome suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Kagome clutched her stomach. "Ow! What's going on?" Kagome sat on the bed and waited for a few minutes until the pain left.

The door opened and Koneko stepped in. "Kagome, are you okay? I was walking by when I heard something." Koneko closed the door and sat next to Kagome.

"I'm fine. I don't need anything." There was a strange rumbling, and Kagome clutched her stomach. "Well, I might be a little hungry. I haven't eaten today." Koneko smiled and left the room to find some food for Kagome.

oOo

Sesshomaru sat on his bed and growled. "How dare she speak to me like that? I will not allow anyone, not even my future mate, to talk to me that way." Sesshomaru decided to try and find where he had left off in the journal to try and calm down. He reached into his sleeve to grab it, but it wasn't there. Sesshomaru growled and searched for it for a minute, but he couldn't find the journal. He looked around the room to look for it. The journal was missing. _How could I lose it? I don't remember it falling out of my sleeve. __**Maybe you were too distracted with Kagome. **__I don't want to hear your criticism_.

Sesshomaru was about to leave his room to see if he had dropped it in the hall, but he stopped when he heard a noise from the other side of the wall.

"Ow! What's going on?" It was Kagome. Sesshomaru was angry with her, but he had to protect her if she was hurt. Sesshomaru left his room while silently cursing the mating ritual rules.

Koneko was about to open Kagome's door when she saw Sesshomaru leaving his room. "Oh, my lord, where are you headed?" Sesshomaru briefly looked around the hall for the journal before turning back to Koneko.

"Tend to Kagome. I think she may be injured. Do not tell her that I told you to do this." Sesshomaru quickly went down the hall to retrace his steps and try to find the journal.

Koneko, confused, but loyal to Sesshomaru, opened Kagome's door and went in.

oOo

Shippo and Rin both laughed at Hatori's joke. "Hatori, you're so nice. When are you going to talk to Kagome?" Hatori shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I thought she was training with Lord Sesshomaru." Shippo sighed. Rin looked at him, concerned.

"Shippo, what's wrong?" Shippo fidgeted with his hair.

"I'm worried about Mama. I don't want her to get hurt when she's training. She's strong, but I don't know about this. Her youkai powers are still new to her." Rin smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine. The mating ritual says that Lord Sesshomaru has to protect Kagome." Shippo looked surprised.

"You know about the mating ritual?" Rin smiled and nodded.

"The servants taught me how to read, and I found out a little about it in one of the books in the library. There are six steps to it, but I only know about step one, when the female accepts the mating ritual, and step two, when the male has to show that he can protect the female. I wish I knew more about it." Shippo paused for a minute, and smiled as he got an idea.

"Rin, how would you like to find out what those steps are so we can help Mama and Sesshomaru? Hatori can come to." Rin thought about it, and she smiled and turned to Hatori.

"What do you say? Lord Sesshomaru isn't the type to fall in love, and I know he might need a little push."

"And Mama needs help too. She doesn't like people that she doesn't know very well." Hatori smiled and nodded.

"That sounds good. Let's go." Hatori, Shippo, and Rin left their bedroom to start their plan.

Once in the hall, Rin led Shippo and Hatori down the halls towards the library. "This way." Rin rounded a corner, but she tripped on something. "Ow!" Rin stood and looked for what she had tripped on. She saw a book on the ground and picked it up. She recognized it right away. "Jackpot! This is just what we need!" Shippo and Hatori caught up to Rin and looked at what she was holding.

"What is it?" Rin held up the book.

"This is what we need! It's the journal that Lord Sesshomaru's father kept. He wrote about his human mate a lot, which makes Lord Sesshomaru angry, but it's helpful for what we're doing. Lord Inu Taishou's human mate had a Flower of Fate, and he wrote about everything he knew."

"Inuyasha's mom had a Flower of Fate? I didn't know that. What did he write about?" Rin opened the journal and started flipping through it. She went back and forth through it for a few minutes.

"Here we go. This sounds like it'll help." Shippo and Hatori leaned over to see what Rin was reading.

_I have found out something new and interesting about the Flower of Fate. I read more about it in my library, and I found out that if a female who finds a Flower of Fate rejects the male she has been paired with, she will not be able to find anyone else to be her mate, and if she does find someone who is willing to be her mate, she will not be able to give him any children. _

The children's eyes widened at what they had read. "That's terrible! Mama wants her own children more than anything in the world! We have to get Sesshomaru and Mama together, or else Mama will never be happy!" Rin closed the journal.

"First, we have to give this back to Lord Sesshomaru, but he can't know that we read it. He's really protective of his father's stuff."

"Why?" Rin looked at Hatori and sighed.

"I've tried asking him. He never says much to me." Hatori looked at the journal.

"Maybe there's a reason he never talks much. I mean, everyone has a reason to do something. Lord Sesshomaru must have a reason that he doesn't speak to people."

"Mama says he's stuck up. She always insulted him when we were with our friends. I think that Sesshomaru might have to change a little if he wants Mama to like him." Rin leaned against the wall, and thought for a minute.

"I'm not sure that Lord Sesshomaru wants Kagome as his mate. He doesn't have any friends. I'm more like a daughter to him, and he doesn't even talk to me much. We need to find a way to get Lord Sesshomaru to open up to Kagome."

"YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" The kids looked down the hall where the scream had come from. The door to Kagome's bedroom, which wasn't far off, blasted open and Kagome stormed out.

oOo

Kagome smiled as she finished the food that Koneko had brought to her room. "Thank you so much, Koneko. That was delicious." Koneko smiled.

"I'm so glad you liked it. Sorry, but I have a lot of work to do. I hope to see you soon." Koneko took the empty food tray and left the room. Kagome sighed and laid down. _I need to tell Sesshomaru what I think. He was so rude before! __**Stop. Before you go any further, think about it. You didn't give him a good answer that he could understand, and he asked you for a better answer. He doesn't have much experience with people, and that was the only way he knew how to ask. Don't blame him. **__He wasn't rude during training, so why did he have to be rude then? And why did he insist on carrying me? I can walk on my own! __**Not then, you couldn't. He was looking out for you. **_

Kagome thought about it for a minute. Sesshomaru had been looking out for her, but he had said it was because of the mating ritual. Was that the only good reason he had?

There was a knock at the door. Kagome sat up and looked at the door. "Come in." The door opened and Sesshomaru came in. He closed the door and walked in.

"I need to speak with you." Kagome crossed her arms and turned away.

"I'm not going to speak with someone who is rude to me." Sesshomaru sighed and sat down next to the bed.

"Kagome, I need to speak with you . . . please." Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to Sesshomaru.

"Did you just say please? I've never heard you say that before. I didn't think you would ever say anything like that." Kagome calmed down and faced Sesshomaru. "Fine, what do you want?"

"I didn't mean to be rude earlier. You have told me that you do not appreciate that, and I will try to avoid it, but I do not speak with people often." Kagome nodded.

"I understand. I know that you don't speak much. I'm . . . sorry for snapping." There was a long pause. Neither Kagome nor Sesshomaru knew what to say next. "You know, I could have walked on my own when I woke up. I didn't really need your help." Sesshomaru clenched his teeth together. It had taken all he had just to say 'please' and now Kagome was being difficult again.

"You were unable to walk and I helped you. I was simply taking care of you." Kagome glared at him.

"That's just because the mating ritual says to do that! You don't care about me at all!" Sesshomaru stood and glared at Kagome.

"You will not speak to me like that! I am the Lord of the West!" Kagome stood, walked up to Sesshomaru, and looked him in the eye.

"I'll speak any way I want! I don't care about your stupid title!"

"My title enables me to throw you out of this castle!"

"YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" Kagome walked past Sesshomaru and blasted the door open out of pure anger. She stormed out of the room, but she turned back to look at Sesshomaru. "If you're going to act like this, I don't want to be your mate!" Kagome ran down the hall, ignoring Rin, Shippo, and Hatori, and flaring a huge red aura from her body.

-End-

Hey! Sorry this took a while. I've been really sick, but now I'm feeling better. I hope you liked this chapter! I tried to make Kagome and Sesshomaru's fight as intense as possible. I don't know about you, but I kind of thought this chapter sucked. That might be because I haven't completely recovered. Man, Kagome is mad! She doesn't want to be Sesshomaru's mate! If you want to find out what happens next, you've got to review! Review review review! Please review! I'm having fun with this story. I've always wanted to write a really long SessKag story, but I could never think of anything. I'm so glad I could write this. You guys are all great, reading and reviewing. Remember to review, please! I'll try to update as soon as I can. Bye!


	25. Feelings Revealed

Sesshomaru stepped out into the hall and watched Kagome storm away. _**What are you doing? Don't just stand there, go after her! **__I can't. It would go against the rules of the mating ritual. _

Sesshomaru wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to go after Kagome, but he couldn't. In the mating ritual, if a female rejects the male and says that she doesn't want him as a mate, then the male can't do anything to try and change her mind. Kagome had decided that she didn't want to be his mate, and Sesshomaru had no say in her choice. When she had run away to the Bone Eater's Well, she had never said that she didn't want Sesshomaru as a mate, so Sesshomaru had gone after her. Now he wasn't allowed to do that.

Rin, Shippo, and Hatori ran after Kagome, and Rin dropped the journal on the ground. Sesshomaru saw this and picked up the journal. He would punish Rin for taking it later. He tucked the journal in his sleeve and was about to go back to his room when Jaken came up to him.

"My lord, the Lord of the South is here to see you. He wishes to speak as soon as possible." Sesshomaru paused a minute and looked at Jaken.

"Bring him to my meeting room. I will be there in a moment." Jaken bowed and rushed off to complete his task.

Sesshomaru stood in the hall alone. He felt strange, and looked back to where Kagome had left. She would not be his mate, and he could not have her, but it wasn't a big deal, so why did he feel this way? _**You have just made the biggest mistake in your life. Go and apologize to her. **__I am not allowed to. I have to go and see the southern lord. _

Sesshomaru paused for another minute before going to his meeting room. The meeting room was in the east wing of the castle, and his bedroom was in the west wing, and Sesshomaru had to walk to the other side of the castle. He walked down the halls, feeling stranger by the second.

Sesshomaru came to the meeting room and walked in. The Lord of the South was sitting in one of the chairs that were placed around a large rectangular table. Sesshomaru used this room for important meetings and discussions.

The Lord of the South was Sesshomaru's least favorite person. He was a bat youkai, with hair that was ocean blue, and a pair of red bat wings marked on his forehead. His eyes were green, and they glowed in an evil and deceptive way.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's so good to see you. It's been much too long." Sesshomaru sat down across from the Southern Lord.

"Lord Tatsuya, what brings you here?" Lord Tatsuya snickered and grinned.

"You're too hasty, but if you want to get this over with, I'll tell you. The other two lords, and myself, are concerned about you. We have heard rumors that you are performing a mating ritual with a youkai that, not only used to be human, but is also a miko. What is the meaning of this?" Sesshomaru mentally growled. He hated Tatsuya almost as much as ha hated Naraku.

"It does not matter any longer. She has rejected me and will be leaving the castle." Tatsuya stood from his chair and looked around the room.

"She rejected you? For what reason?" Sesshomaru glared at him, but Tatsuya didn't seem to notice.

"It's none of your business." Tatsuya looked at Sesshomaru for a minute.

"I can't see why she would. You're said to be the strongest youkai in the land, and no doubt the best looking. I've also heard that you and the female were brought together by the Flower of Fate." This caught Sesshomaru's attention.

"How did you know about that?"

"News travels fast. You know, there's a consequence if a female rejects a male when they were brought together by the Flower of Fate. Did you know that if that happens, then both the female and the male will never be able to find anyone else to be their mates, and even if they did, they wouldn't be able to have children?" Sesshomaru was surprised to hear this, and he almost let the mask of his serious expression slip.

"How do you know this much about the Flower of Fate?" Tatsuya sneered, knowing that he had Sesshomaru's attention hooked on him.

"I did some reading on it. That means that if you don't mate this female, you won't have an heir to take over if something should happen to you. Of course, you're not allowed to try and get her back once a female has rejected you. What are you going to do?" Sesshomaru tried to think. He was in trouble.

Youkai were special creatures, they could live forever. A youkai's body stopped aging at a certain point, usually when they turned nineteen or twenty, and then they could keep living, but their bodies wouldn't age. A youkai could only die after a severe wound or illness. Sesshomaru would need an heir to take over if he died of an injury, or if he decided to give up his throne. If he didn't have an heir, Sesshomaru's land would be taken over by the other three lords.

"I will figure something out. If that is all that you came here for, I suggest you leave." Tatsuya didn't intend on leaving.

"I've only been here for a few minutes. We need to talk. Now, tell me, I've heard that your woman was a powerful miko named Kagome. Is this true?" Sesshomaru stood and glared at Tatsuya.

"You will leave my castle, now. I do not want to have to call my guards." Tatsuya smirked and walked to the door.

"You had better have a way of getting your woman back." Tatsuya opened the door and left. Sesshomaru sat and rubbed his temples. _If I do not get Kagome back, I will not have an heir to my land. I have many years of ruling ahead of me, but I can't rule the west forever. __**I told you that you had made a mistake. **_

Sesshomaru tried to ignore his inner youkai, but he was right. He had messed up. He would never have an heir if he didn't get Kagome back. _I could train a youkai to be my heir. _That was a loophole on the rules of royal youkai. If a youkai lord couldn't have an heir, he could train a young male youkai to be his heir, but the youkai had to be in the family. _**Face it, there's no one in your family that you could use. Your mom vowed not to have anymore children after what happened with your dad and his human mate, which means you don't have any full-blooded youkai siblings, or any nephews. Kagome is your only chance. **_For once, Sesshomaru didn't object. He felt strange, and Sesshomaru knew what it was. There was no was to disprove it, and Sesshomaru couldn't keep denying it. He liked Kagome.

Love might have been too strong, but Sesshomaru knew he held affection for Kagome. He was tired of arguing with his inner youkai, and this feeling he had told him it was time to at least try and get Kagome to like him. But he was too late now.

oOo

Rin, Shippo, and Hatori ran after Kagome. She was angry as hell, but they had to let her know what she was doing. The kids ran as fast as they could, and they eventually caught up to her.

"Mama, stop." Kagome halted at the sound of her son's voice. Her red aura dissipated and she turned to look at him.

"Shippo, what is it? I want out of this castle as soon as possible. Sesshomaru is an inconsiderate jerk who doesn't care about me. It's the stupid mating ritual, and the stupid flower. He's acting like Inuyasha, only doing what benefits him, or what he has to do." Shippo looked at his feet. Kagome was extremely upset.

"Mama, you don't realize what you're doing. First of all, just because Sesshomaru is following the mating ritual doesn't mean that he doesn't care for you. Second, you're making a mistake. There's something you need to know."

"Shippo, nothing in the world could get me to go back with Sesshomaru. I don't know why you would want me to go with him, but I won't." Shippo looked up at Kagome.

"Mama, if you and Sesshomaru don't become mates, you'll never be able to have your own kids!"

oOo

Kikyo watched as Kagome froze in her place at what Shippo had just told her. Kagome stared ahead into space.

"I have to go with him, or I'll never have my own kids? You've got to be kidding." Kikyo had known about this, and she had wanted to see how Kagome would react if she found out.

"It's too bad that Kagome doesn't like Sesshomaru. He's finally realized that he likes her, and now this is happening. She hates him, but she won't be truly happy if she doesn't mate him." Kikyo knew the group wouldn't hear her if she talked, but she was surprised to see Kagome's expression change. She looked puzzled.

"Did you guys just hear something?" The kids looked around in confusion.

"What do you mean, Kagome? I don't hear anything." Kagome stepped toward where Kikyo was floating.

"I thought I heard a voice . . . saying something about Sesshomaru. I suppose I'm just hearing things." Kagome shook her head and turned back to Shippo.

"Mama, are you okay?" Kagome kneeled down so she was at Shippo's height.

"Shippo, what do you mean by 'I'll never have kids'?" Shippo looked away.

"Well, Rin found a book that told us about the Flower of Fate. It said that if a female who finds a flower rejects the male she was paired with, she'll never find another mate, and if she does find someone who is willing to be her mate, she won't be able to give him any children. You need to go with Sesshomaru, or you'll never have your own kids. That's what you want most, right?" Kagome stared at Shippo.

"Yes, it is, but I rejected him. He doesn't like me, so there's no way he'll take me back after what I did."

"Stop it! Kagome, you never know what will happen! Lord Sesshomaru is more caring than he seems. He saved my life, and then I found out that he hates humans. Why would he save the life of something he hates? You can never be sure of what someone will do. I'm sure that if you apologized and asked him nicely, he would take you back." Kagome stared at Rin.

"You think so? I'm not sure. Sesshomaru yelled at me, and even threatened to kick me out of the castle. I'm almost positive that he won't take me back." _**You idiot! Why did you reject him? He apologized and then you criticized him for carrying you when you couldn't walk, and started yelling at him! Then you rejected him as a mate! Now you find out that you can't have kids unless you go with him! I can't believe you did this. **__Shut up! I thought he was being a rude jerk. I didn't know the consequences. _

Kagome stood and sighed. "I . . . I guess I'll try, but I'm not sure what Sesshomaru will do."

Kikyo watched Kagome walk down the hall to try and find Sesshomaru. "I hope she does well." Kikyo looked at the kids and noticed something strange about Hatori. He had a blue aura around him, but Rin and Shippo didn't seem to notice it. "I wonder who exactly that boy is."

oOo

Sesshomaru sat on the bed in his room, sulking. Kagome was the first woman he had ever held any affection for, and she had rejected him. _Why did I have to yell at her? __**I told you that you liked her, but NO! You didn't listen to me! Now you finally realize it, and it's too late! **__I don't need your help in feeling guilty. _

Sesshomaru was brought out of his thoughts when there was a knock at the door. "Enter." Sesshomaru looked at the door, and was surprised when Kagome came in. He had been too deep in thought to notice her scent at the door.

"Sesshomaru, is it okay if I talk to you?" Kagome seemed calm, almost sad.

"What do you want? You rejected me, and you the right to leave the castle whenever you want. I would appreciate it if you took Hatori with you. You're the one he wanted to talk to." Kagome walked in and closed the door.

"Sesshomaru, I need to talk about that. When I rejected you, I was being stupid. I was mad because I thought I could walk on my own, but you were just making sure I was safe. I thought you were a jerk, and I'm the one who needs to apologize. I think I'm stressed out because of Naraku, and having to collect the jewel shards. Inuyasha was such a jerk, and I might miss being friends with him or something. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry." Kagome sighed and looked at Sesshomaru. "I didn't mean to reject you. I hope you can forgive me." Kagome hated to, but she knelt on the floor and bowed to Sesshomaru. She had to show her respect if she wanted Sesshomaru to take her back.

"Why do you want to take back your rejection? What reason do you have?" Sesshomaru was skeptical of her apology.

"I . . . I found out that if we don't become mates, then I won't be able to have children." Kagome didn't know what else to say. She couldn't think of anything better to tell him.

"If you only care about having children, then I don't believe that you have a right to continue the mating ritual with me." Kagome looked up at him. _**What are you doing?! This is your chance to get her back! **__I will not mate a woman who tries to use me to get what she wants. __**She's not using you! Come on, just take her back! I can tell she isn't using you. Just look at her eyes. **_

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome's eyes. For a moment he didn't see anything, but then he noticed something. There was a sadness in her eyes, as if she was pleading.

Kagome stood and looked down. "I see. I'll just get my stuff and go then." Kagome was about to open the door and leave, but she felt something strange. A cold wave of air washed over her.

oOo

Kikyo couldn't take this. Kagome was about to leave and lose her chances of being with Sesshomaru. Kikyo stood in front of the door and tried to push Kagome back. Kagome stopped and paused. "Why do I feel so cold?" Kikyo sighed. She couldn't push Kagome back, she could only make her feel cold. Kikyo wouldn't let this happen. She wouldn't let Kagome ruin her chance and leave Sesshomaru.

Kagome shook her head and tried to open the door again.

Kikyo summoned all of the strength she had and once more tried to push Kagome back. Surprisingly, Kagome stumbled backward.

oOo

Kagome tried to open the door again, but she felt something strange. Suddenly, she was pushed backward. Kagome tried to catch herself before she fell, but she stumbled. Kagome cried out and prepared for herself to hit the ground, but she never did.

Kagome looked up and saw Sesshomaru's face. He had caught her to stop her from falling.

"Sesshomaru . . .? Why did you catch me?" Sesshomaru shifted Kagome so she was facing him and leaning on his chest.

Sesshomaru paused for a minute. _Holding Kagome like this is . . . __**Wonderful? Fantastic? The best thing in the world? I have more suggestions. **__Be quiet. _

Sesshomaru tried to let go of Kagome, but Kagome held on to his arm. "Wait. Don't let go just yet. I want to know, why did you catch me instead of letting me fall?" Sesshomaru looked at Kagome for a minute before answering.

"I didn't want you to get hurt." Kagome looked down and tightened her hand on his arm.

"You didn't want me hurt . . .? Does that mean that you want to continue the mating ritual?" Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. She looked different . . . but not in a bad way. She looked more appealing all of the sudden.

"If we continue the mating ritual, you must promise not to overreact when I try and protect you." Kagome was surprised. _Sesshomaru sounds as if he . . . truly cares. __**I bet he likes you! **__Don't ruin it. _

Kagome thought about something for a minute. "Sesshomaru, I think we should go on to the third step of the mating ritual. I'm sure that you can protect me very well." Sesshomaru froze. He hadn't expected Kagome to tell him this. He had almost forgotten about Kagome having to tell him to finish the second step.

"You want to move on to the third step?" Kagome nodded.

"I'm sure that you can protect me. I . . . I think I'm starting to feel safe around you. I know you told me to tell you this on the night of a full moon, but I thought I should tell you now."

"It is a full moon tonight. I keep track of the moon cycles." Kagome and Sesshomaru didn't speak for a minute. Kagome blushed as she realized that Sesshomaru still holding her. Kagome let go off Sesshomaru's arm and stepped away.

"So, what's the third step?" Sesshomaru looked away. He still wasn't ready to tell her.

"The third step . . . the third step is for the male to prove to the female that he . . . loves her." Silence followed. Kagome looked down. _He has to prove that he loves me? Who knows how long that could take! __**From what's happened so far today, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened tomorrow. **__Would you shut up? I'm sure that Sesshomaru doesn't like me. __**Then what do you call him catching you after you fell and forgiving you for yelling at him? Come on, woman, he likes you and you like him! That's how it is, and you can't change it! **__But I can chose not to believe a single word you tell me. _

"Well, I guess I should be going. I still have to talk to Hatori, and I'm sure there are things that you have to do. I'll see you later." Kagome turned and left the room, quicker than she intended. She walked down the hall, her face bright red.

oOo

Kikyo smiled at seeing the succession of her plan. She hadn't known that Kagome would actually fall backward, but it had helped. She looked at Sesshomaru, who seemed to be in a daze.

_Kagome seemed nervous after I told her about the third step. __**Of course she was! I'm surprised you aren't a little nervous. Kagome acted like she really likes you. She didn't want you to let go of her when you were holding her. If that isn't a red flag that says 'Kagome likes you' I don't know what is. **__I don't want to listen to you. I've admitted to myself that I like Kagome, I don't need you to start pestering me about how she feels toward me. __**Trust me, I'm always going to have something to pester you about. **_Sesshomaru growled and sat on his bed. He needed time to think about things, particularly how he was going to show Kagome that he loved her when he wasn't even sure if he loved her yet.

oOo

Rin, Shippo, and Hatori waited in their bedroom for Kagome to finish with Sesshomaru. "How long can they take?" Rin was growing impatient.

"Let Mama take her time. Sesshomaru can be stubborn." The door suddenly opened, and Kagome came in.

"Hey guys." Kagome closed the door and sat next to the kids.

"Mama, how did it go?" Kagome smiled.

"I'm staying, and now Sesshomaru and I are working on the third step of the mating ritual." Rin smiled and jumped up.

"Kagome, this is great! What's the third step?" Shippo and Hatori looked at Kagome with curiosity. Kagome looked down for a minute.

"Well, the third step is for the male to . . . prove to the female that he loves her." The kids stared at her for a while.

"Mama, you're blushing." Kagome looked up at Shippo and covered her face.

"I am? I guess I'm stressed out. The third step is . . . not what I expected." Rin sat down and looked at Kagome.

"Kagome, how much do you like Sesshomaru?" Kagome looked at Rin in astonishment.

"How much do I like him? What do you mean?" Rin sighed.

"Kagome, I know that you consider Sesshomaru a friend, at least, but I want to know exactly how much you like him." Kagome thought about it for a few minutes. The kids waited patiently for her answer.

"I'm not sure. I don't think he's evil anymore, but is he really my friend? He caught me when I fell, even after he said that we couldn't continue the mating ritual."

"What? I thought you said you were staying." Kagome looked up at Rin.

"He did, but only after some things happened."

"Tell us everything." Kagome sighed and began explaining everything that had happened when she had apologized to Sesshomaru.

"That sounds so sweet. Sesshomaru sounds like he cares about you, Kagome. Do you think he likes you?"

"No, of course not. I know he doesn't like me, which is why I'm worried about how long this will take. I can't picture Sesshomaru liking anyone." Rin put her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kagome. I'm sure that Sesshomaru likes you. Trust me, I've seen him looking at you before." Rin smiled, and Kagome nodded.

"Maybe. Hatori, Sesshomaru told me that you wanted to talk to me about something. What was it?" Hatori looked down in sadness.

"I needed to talk to you about getting back home. I was separated from my village. My mom told me to try and find you if something like this happened. Could you please help me get back home?" Kagome smiled and pat Hatori on the head.

"Of course I'll help you. I'm sure your mother is worried about you." Hatori smiled.

"Thank you so much. My mom says that you're a very powerful priestess." Kagome blushed. She always felt strange when people told her she was powerful.

"I'll have to ask Sesshomaru about it, but I don't think I should talk to him right now. He probably busy." Rin smirked.

"You think he's busy, or you don't want to see him because you're embarrassed?" Kagome blushed and shook her head.

"Come on, why don't we go play in the garden?" The kids all smiled and the group went outside to the garden.

oOo

Sesshomaru finished the last of his paperwork and stood from his desk. He hadn't been to his castle in a long time, and paperwork built up fast. It was already time for dinner. Sesshomaru wondered where Kagome had gone. He had expected her to talk to him about Hatori by now.

Sesshomaru left his room and sniffed the air. Kagome's scent was in the direction of the garden. He headed down the halls to where the garden was. Sesshomaru came to a large door that led outside. He went out and looked at the garden.

The sun was setting, making the garden look beautiful. The garden had cobblestone paths that led in every direction around the garden, and all of the paths ended at the center of the garden, where there was a fountain which held a statue of Inu no Taishou. The garden was covered with many different flowers, along with an occasional bonsai tree. Sesshomaru saw Kagome playing with the children by the center fountain. Rin splashed water on Shippo, and Shippo pushed Rin in, but Kagome caught her before she fell.

Kagome looked radiant. She had changed from her training kimono into a regular kimono that was dark blue with green vines going up the side. The kimono matched her eyes, and the sunset behind her made Kagome look as if she was glowing.

Sesshomaru followed one of the paths into the center of the garden. Kagome stopped playing with the kids and looked at Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru, what is it?"

"It's time for dinner, but I need to talk with you. I want the children to go inside." Rin, Shippo, and Hatori didn't waste any time leaving the garden.

"What do you need to talk about?" Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the fountain and Kagome sat next to him.

"Did you talk to Hatori?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, I did. He told me he needs help finding his way home. Would you mind helping him?"

"No, I would not, if you want to help him. I could have a few of my guards take him home." Kagome frowned and sighed.

"That wouldn't work. I'm sure that Hatori wants Rin and Shippo to come with him when he leaves, and I'm not letting Shippo go without me. I think we should take him." Sesshomaru thought it over.

"All right. It will give me a chance to hunt for Naraku, and you might find a shard."

"You aren't going to freak out like last time, right?" It was meant as a joke, but Sesshomaru wasn't laughing. "Sorry, that was a bad joke. I'm just nervous because of the third step." Sesshomaru watched Kagome turn around and start swirling the water with her fingers.

"Why does it make you nervous?" Kagome dipped her hand under the water and brought back up, letting the water drip from her fingers.

"I'm not experienced with love. I used to love your brother, but after a while I got tired of him running off to Kikyo. I used to sit with him sometimes, but we never had a chance to be really romantic with each other. I have pictures of us together, but I'm sure that we won't be like that ever again. I'm worried that my heart will be broken again. I'm afraid that I'll feel those awful feelings that tore me apart." Sesshomaru listened intently to what Kagome was saying. She sounded as if she was talking to herself.

"Kagome?" Kagome took her hand away from the water and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I was spacing out. Sometimes I say things without thinking. Did I say anything strange?"

"No, you didn't." _She must miss my brother. __**Correction, she misses feeling like she was loved. Imagine, you loved someone for so long who kept going to someone else. How would you feel? **__How would I know the answer to that? I've never been in love before. __**Still, how would you feel about it? I would feel like crap. **_

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. He remembered what he had heard before, when Kagome had been in pain. "Kagome, after I brought you to your room, I heard you cry out in pain. What was it that was bothering you?" Kagome remembered the stomach pain she had felt earlier.

"I felt some sharp stomach pain, but I'm fine." Sesshomaru looked closer at Kagome.

"Are you sure you're fine?" Kagome nodded and smiled. Sesshomaru need to make sure. He placed his hand on her stomach. Kagome flinched.

"W-what are you doing?" Sesshomaru held his hand on her stomach for a minute, and took it away. "Why did you do that?"

"Your stomach appears fine, but I would be careful."

"Why did you do that, and how can you tell?"

"An Inu youkai is usually able to check small injuries and make sure they're okay." Kagome put her hand on her stomach, but she didn't feel anything.

"I'm sure I have a lot to learn about being a youkai." Kagome stood, turned to Sesshomaru and smiled. "We're going to be late for dinner."

"Wait, I need to ask something." Kagome sighed and sat back down. "If you hadn't found out that you couldn't have children if you weren't my mate, would you have left?" Kagome was surprised. She didn't think Sesshomaru cared, just that she was lucky he hadn't kicked her out.

"Would I have left? Why do you care?" Sesshomaru thought about it. _Why do I care? I don't know why, but I'm curious to see if she really would have left. __**Sesshomaru and Kagome, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! **__I don't need to hear anything from you. _

"I don't know why I care. Just answer." Kagome rested her hand on her chin.

"If I hadn't known . . . I probably would have tried to stay anyway. I always forgave your brother for hurting me, and I hate being angry with people unless they're really evil. Yeah, I think I might have apologized either way." Sesshomaru thought about her answer. _She would have wanted to stay either way? __**As I said, she likes you back. Why don't you tell her already? **_

Sesshomaru stood and turned to Kagome. "We need to go to dinner." Kagome stood and followed him through the garden. The sun had set, and now it was dark, but the light from the moon and the stars illuminated the garden. The flowers almost seemed to glow. Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had seen anything so beautiful. "This is beautiful. The flowers are glowing in the moonlight. It's so . . . I'm not sure how to put it."

"Romantic." Kagome stared at Sesshomaru. She was about to speak, but decided not to ruin a perfect moment like this. Kagome suddenly realized something.

Although she might not love him, Kagome liked Sesshomaru. It was the only explanation for why she had been acting so strange lately. _I like him? It's makes sense now that I realize it, but it's hard to believe. __**Finally! You finally got it! I'm was starting to get mad. **__Oh, shut it. _

Kagome and Sesshomaru continued walking out of the garden until they were inside and headed for the dining room. Kagome sighed. The rest of the mating ritual was going to be hard, but now that she knew a little about her feelings for Sesshomaru, she felt better.

-End-

Hi! Hey, sorry if it seems like I rushed it, but I thought it was about time they realized their feelings for each other. I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'll try to keep up the good writing. I'm having a tough time with school, I've got so many projects to do! I made this chapter extra long to celebrate over 400 reviews. Yay! Hooray! Yipee! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I'm so happy! Please keep it up and help me reach my new goal of 500! (Big surprise, right?) Please please please review! Well, I have to go! I'll try to put up the next chapter as soon as I can! Bye!


	26. A Secret Song

Kagome panted and put her arm down, causing the whip of light to disappear. She and Sesshomaru were training just outside the castle. Kagome had tried once again to use her whip of light, but it wasn't as easy as it had been before. Sesshomaru had told her to carefully use her whip to carve out a design in one of the trees, but so far, Kagome could only make uncontrolled slashes. She wasn't good with coordinating the whip.

"Can we take a break?" Sesshomaru nodded, and Kagome collapsed on the ground.

"This is so hard. Why can't I control the whip?"

"It is hard to control, even for someone with more practice. I have been using it for years, therefore it is easier for me." Kagome couldn't get over it. Ever since yesterday, she couldn't help but think about how she liked Sesshomaru. _Relax, it's not like I love him. __**You'll fall in love soon enough. **_

Kagome turned onto her stomach and started picking at the grass. _I wonder if Sesshomaru likes me back? Probably not. He's always been a cold-hearted person. __**You're getting on my nerves. He's been using your name, he's tried to protect you more than once, and I bet he's softening up. Why don't you ask him how he feels about you? He asked you, but you didn't give him a very good answer. **__I could never ask him! He wouldn't answer anyway. _

Sesshomaru watched Kagome pick at the grass. He couldn't help but think she looked cute that way. _What am I saying? Why would a call a girl 'cute'? __**You like Kagome, you like Kagome! Why don't you just tell her how you feel? She might be thinking about telling you the same thing. **__The key word is 'might.' I do not intend on revealing my feelings, perhaps I will do so later on. _

"Okay, we should start up again." Kagome stood and turned to Sesshomaru.

"It is almost time for breakfast. We will continue tomorrow." Kagome almost looked disappointed, but she nodded and went back to the castle.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome leave and sat on the ground. He wanted to meditate for a while before he went inside. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes and breathed calmly.

Sesshomaru liked to meditate because it helped him get rid of anger and frustration. Occasionally, Sesshomaru could see visions, and although they were blurry and hard to make out, they always came true. Sesshomaru had heard of certain youkai that had psychic powers, but he didn't believe that he was one of them. The visions had only happened four times, all of them separated by about one hundred or more years.

As he calmed down, and his inner youkai settled, Sesshomaru began feeling strange. The wind blew in all directions and swirled Sesshomaru's hair, but he didn't make a move to fix it. This was what usually happened when a vision was about to come.

Sesshomaru saw a vouge scene. It looked white and foggy. There was music playing in the background. Sesshomaru realized that it wasn't music, but signing. It was a female, and the voice sounded pure and heavenly. Sesshomaru began to see a person form, the one who was signing. He was about to see her when everything went blank.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes to find himself still sitting on the ground. It had been a while since he had seen a vision, and this one was stranger than the others. He only had visions of important things, or something that would lead up to an important act. His first vision had been a vision of a mountain, and he had seen it when he was little. The next day he had gone to a mountain with his father and slew his first youkai.

Sesshomaru stood and went inside the castle. He needed to find out who it had been who was singing. It couldn't be Rin, the voice sounded like it belonged to someone older. He had never heard any of his servants sing, and he was sure that it wasn't one of them. Could it be Kagome? Sesshomaru was curious to see what Kagome sounded like when she was singing. He thought her voice sounded beautiful when she was talking, so he was curious about her singing. _What am I saying? Kagome is making me act in ways I've never acted before. She has a strange affect on me. __**Of course she does. She's an amazing person. **_

Sesshomaru entered his room and sat on the chair by his desk. He picked up his quill and started working on paperwork that he had to do.

oOo

Kagome smiled as she went into the hot spring and closed the door. She had insisted to Koneko that she could bathe on her own. Kagome didn't like being pampered. It made her feel like the snobby rich people she would see on T.V. shows back home.

Kagome took of her training kimono and slipped into the water. She sighed and relaxed as the hot water hit her nerves. Hot baths always felt good, and it lifted away her tensions. Right now her biggest tension was from Sesshomaru. She was beginning to feel extremely nervous around him. Kagome started wondering about him, specifically things she didn't think he would ever do.

_I know he's smiled when he was little because of the picture I saw, but I bet it's been a long time since he's smiled. I wonder if he's ever laughed. I'm interested to hear what it sounds like. What does his singing sound like? It might be nice to hear that. __**Someone's thinking about Sesshomaru a lot. **__Shut up. I don't want to hear anything from you. _

Kagome decided to sing a song she had learned a few years ago. When she had come to the feudal era, she had been taking baths in hot springs, and she never had much privacy, so Kagome had stopped singing. She liked to sing when she was alone, and she only did it in public when she was in a group. Kagome sniffed the air and listened, but no one seemed to be around. Kagome closed her eyes and started singing.

"Feel my love, feel my soul. It's so magical.  
Take my hand, make me whole.  
It's so magical.

Can't get you off my mind.  
What we had is hard to find.  
I feel this pain inside.  
But I know,

Your love, your love,  
It can…

Set me free, make me see.  
It's so magical.  
You and me.  
We are one, the moon and sun.  
It's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.

Life is good, life is fun.  
It's so magical.  
Love is here, we are one.  
It's so magical.

Can't get you off my mind.  
What we had is hard to find.  
I feel this pain inside.  
But I know,

Your love, your love,  
It can…

Set me free, make me see.  
It's so magical, you and me.  
We are one, the moon and sun.  
It's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.

So take my heart,  
Cause baby you're the one.

Feels like magic.  
Love is but a feeling.  
Lay me back, inside your heart.  
Your love can set me free.

Your love, your love it can…

Set me free, make me see  
It's so magical.  
You and me.  
We are one, the moon and sun.  
It's so magical, you'll see.

La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical, you'll see.  
La di da, la di di.  
La di da, la di di, it's so magical."

Kagome felt great after singing that song. It was her favorite. Kagome suddenly caught a person's scent at the door. She sniffed the air, but it disappeared.

oOo

Sesshomaru finished his paperwork and left his room. It was almost time for breakfast. He and Kagome had agreed to take Hatori home after breakfast was finished. He wondered where Kagome was, and he went looking.

Sesshomaru was nearing the hot spring when he heard a noise. It was soft, but Sesshomaru was sure it sounded like singing. He remembered his vision and immediately went up to the door. He put his ear near the door and listened.

"Set me free, make me see

It's so magical

You and me.

We are one, the moon and sun.

It's so magical, you'll see."

Sesshomaru listened intently. This was the same voice from his vision. It sounded like an angel. Sesshomaru needed to find out who it was. He sniffed the air, but the steam from the spring blocked his sense of smell. He tried harder, and found out who it was. It was Kagome.

Sesshomaru took his ear away from the door and ran down the hall until he was a safe distance away. He didn't know why, but he didn't want Kagome to know that he had heard her singing, or that he was nearby when she was bathing. For the first time in many years, Sesshomaru's heart was pounding like crazy. _How can she do these things to me? I can't remember the last time I've ever felt like this. __**Like I said, Kagome is amazing, and she's talented. Let me tell you, you're lucky the Flower of Fate put her with you and not your dimwit brother. **_

Sesshomaru calmed down and regained his composure. He wouldn't lose the image he had worked extremely hard to put up.

oOo

Kagome covered herself with a towel and peeked out of the door into the hall. She could've sworn someone had been at the door. Kagome shrugged it off and went back inside. She felt much better after singing her song. It had been her favorite after she had heard it on the radio at home one day.

Kagome removed her towel and put on her kimono. It was red with yellow petal designs on it. Kagome liked the coloring and the way the petals were designed. They reminded her of her petal from the Flower of Fate. She had put the petal in a box and hidden it in a special pocket in her backpack.

Kagome slipped on her sandals and left the hot spring. She decided to talk to Sesshomaru to see if he knew who it was who had been spying on her. Maybe he had chased whoever it had been off. _**I wouldn't blame him. I'd expect him to chase off someone who was spying on his prize while she was bathing. **__What do you mean 'his prize'? We aren't mated yet. _

Kagome went down the hall and tried to find Sesshomaru. It wasn't long before she caught his scent and followed it. Soon she came to the dining room. _Oh, right, it's about time for breakfast. I guess it slipped my mind. _Kagome opened the door and walked in.

Everyone was seated and waiting. They all turned to her as Kagome walked in. Kagome took her usual spot next to Sesshomaru.

"We have been waiting for you." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait."

"Breakfast doesn't start for a few minutes. We were only expecting you here sooner." Kagome looked at the kids and smiled.

"Hey guys. What have you been doing?" Shippo smiled at his mother.

"Nothing, really. We just woke up a little while ago." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru again.

"Sesshomaru, I could have sworn that there was someone near the door when I was bathing, but they left as soon as I caught their scent. Do you know who it was?" Sesshomaru shook his head. _Kagome would never let me forget it if she knew it was me. _

Breakfast soon started and everyone began eating.

"Kagome, when are we leaving to take Hatori home?" Kagome looked up from her food to Rin.

"We planned to leave right after breakfast. Hatori, are you ready to leave?" Hatori smiled and nodded.

"I didn't have anything with me when I came here, so I'm ready whenever you would like to take me." Kagome smiled at the young pup. He looked cute, especially when he was smiling. Rin and Shippo had become his friends right away, and he seemed friendly. One thing Kagome couldn't figure out was that his aura felt strange. It wasn't like any other hanyou aura she had encountered. It didn't even feel like a hanyou's aura, but his scent told her otherwise. Kagome shrugged it off. It couldn't be anything important to worry about.

After breakfast, Kagome packed up her backpack and changed into a pair of jeans and her navy blue sweater. Kimonos were not suited for traveling. Kagome packed her training kimono in case they were gone for more than a day and she had to train the next morning. Sesshomaru had suggested that they fly there to make the trip shorter. Kagome and the kids would ride Ah-Un, and Sesshomaru would ride his youkai cloud. Jaken wasn't coming. Sesshomaru had briefly mentioned to Kagome that she should have a youkai cloud too, but it was hard to summon, and even harder to control.

Everyone met outside by the main gate, ready and waiting. The kids were seated on Ah-Un, and Sesshomaru stood next to them. Hatori was talking with Rin and Shippo, making a joke by the looks of it.

"Let's go." Kagome sat in front of the kids on Ah-Un. Sesshomaru summoned his youkai cloud and flew into the air. Ah-Un followed shortly. Kagome sighed and smiled, feeling the wind through her hair. Although it was close to fall, the sun was shining, and it was fairly warm, but Kagome guessed it would've been colder if she hadn't worn a sweater.

"Hatori, what's your village like?" Kagome looked at Rin and decided to join the conversation.

"Oh, my village is nice. The villagers don't like me very much, but my mother loves me. She's the prettiest woman I've ever seen. The village is smaller than some other villages, but it's not too bad." Kagome turned to look at Sesshomaru.

He looked majestic the way his hair was flowing, and his clothes waved back and forth. Kagome couldn't help but notice his left arm. She wanted to help him, but her powers weren't strong enough. Kagome made a promise to herself, when she was strong enough, and if it was all right with Sesshomaru, she would restore him arm. It was only fair, since his arm had been cut off when Inuyasha was protecting her. Kagome couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty.

Sesshomaru felt someone watching him, and he looked back. Kagome turned away, her face turning slightly red. Sesshomaru turned back to watch where he was going. _Why was she looking at me like that? __**She likes you, and you know it. I bet she was checking you out! **__Don't be vulgar. Let me focus on where we're going. _

"Hatori, I don't know exactly where the village is. You need to give me directions." Hatori looked up from his conversation.

"Yes, my lord. Um, I think we have to head north a little." Sesshomaru made a turn towards the north and continued on.

-End-

Hi! I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! I was sick and couldn't work on my computer! I hope you all liked this chapter. I apologize, but I'll be unable to update for a while. My family is taking ten days off in Florida (we live in New York) and I won't have access to the internet. Sorry! I promise, I'll make the next chapter really long when I put it up. Oh, I have a special competition for you guys! I'll give a special fanfiction award (not a real award, mind you) to anyone who can guess the name and artist of the song Kagome was singing. I'll give half-credit to anyone who knows just the song name. I know it's a little obvious, but I want to have the competition anyway! Please review, and tell me the answers if you know them! I'll acknowledge anyone who guesses correctly. Please, please review! It'll be a nice surprise when I get back if I have a lot of reviews! Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you all when I get back from Florida! Bye!


	27. Puppy Love

A/N: I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a long time! My computer crashed and I couldn't write! I came to my friend LPAC's house today and was able to post. I'm sorry! My computer will be fixed soon so I will be able to post regurlarly. I'm sorry!

Now I will announce the winners of our contest! The song was "It's So Magical" by ATC.

The winners are: nekoinukid, wicca-magick, drummergirl11038, Kinzru Arolen, Dark Darianna Minamino, sesshyluvsjc, Lady Sesshomaru of the West, mischievous female, SilverStar07, sysclp, Akada, and carryonwithoutme. Thanks for participating! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

oOo

"I think we have to turn to the south and keep going straight, and then we should be there." Hatori was trying his best to guide Sesshomaru to his village. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru turned and Ah-Un followed. They had been going for an hour, and Kagome was starting to get bored.

"How much further?" Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. He hadn't spoken at all, unless he needed to ask Hatori for directions.

"It should be right . . . oh no." Hatori's mouth dropped open as he stared at the ground. Kagome looked down.

Below them was the remains of a small village. Kagome could smell blood. By the look on Hatori's face, Kagome could tell it was his village.

The group landed on the ground in the center of the mess. Hatori jumped off Ah-Un and ran around in a panic.

"Mom! Mom! Where are you?!" Hatori dug through the piles of wood from the destroyed houses. He became more frightened when he couldn't find anything but rubble. "Mom! Anyone?! Where are you?!" Hatori ran around shouting into the air, but there weren't any answers.

Sesshomaru sniffed the air. "It was a Death Bird. They are a type of youkai that kills entire villages at a time. They tend to go after smaller villages that are unable to defend themselves." Hatori started crying as he realized that his mother wasn't anywhere nearby.

Shippo and Rin went over to comfort him. Kagome hung back with Sesshomaru.

"That's so sad. He came all the way to the castle to try and get back home, and now his mom is gone." Kagome felt like crying, but she couldn't. Crying was hard for her. She had learned not to cry when Inuyasha had kept going to Kikyo. She felt just as bad, though.

"It is somewhat sad that he no longer has parents." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, can I ask you a favor?" Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome. "Could Hatori stay at your castle? He doesn't have any parents to help him survive, and he's such good friends with Rin and Shippo . . . please?" Sesshomaru thought about it.

"I suppose it would be fine. As lord of the west, I have to take care of those who live in my territory. I will allow him to stay at the castle until he is able to take care of himself." Kagome smiled and walked over to Hatori. She knelt down and placed her hand on his head.

"Hatori, would you like to stay at the castle? You can't stay here, and I'm sure Rin and Shippo would be more than happy to have you stay. What do you say?" Hatori looked up at Kagome.

"I could stay there? Is it all right with Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome nodded. Hatori looked down and thought about it. "Thank you very much. I would like to stay." Kagome smiled and pat Hatori's head.

"Then let's go home." Kagome stood and walked up to Sesshomaru. "Thank you very much for letting Hatori stay. I know you don't like hanyous, and this means a lot." Sesshomaru looked away. It made him nervous just to have Kagome thank him.

Everyone climbed onto Ah-Un while Seshomaru led the way on his youkai cloud. _I wish I could tell him, but . . . __**but nothing! What excuse could you possible have for not telling Sesshomaru how you feel? **__It just doesn't seem like he would return my feelings. __**Listen up and listen good, you will tell him when we get back to the castle, understand? I won't leave you alone until you tell him. **_Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. She had to tell him at some point, and it was better to get it over with rather than keep it inside. _I'll try and tell him. __**Good girl.**_

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome for a second. He knew he couldn't tell her. _I am the lord of the west, and yet I can't tell a woman how I feel about her? __**I don't blame you for being nervous, she's a great person. Any person would be nervous. Although, if you don't tell her soon, I'm going to get mad. **__Leave me alone, I'll tell her at some point. _

They continued until they reached the castle. Rin, Shippo, and Hatori went to Rin's room to help Hatori grieve over his mom, and Kagome went to her room. She took off her backpack and put her training kimono back in her closet. The trip had been much shorter than she had thought.

Kagome sat on her bed and sighed. _I want to tell him, but I'm sure that he doesn't feel the same. __**What if he does? **__I don't know . . . _

Kagome sat there for a while, contemplating her options. She wanted to tell Sesshomaru, but there was a large chance that he didn't feel the same, but there was also a chance that he did. Kagome couldn't decide what to do.

It was half-an-hour before Kagome became fed up with herself. She wanted to tell him, and she was going to, whether Sesshomaru felt the same or not. _I'm tired of arguing with myself. _

Kagome left her room and went next-door to Sesshomaru's room. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but she froze. _It doesn't matter what the outcome is, just tell him. _Kagome knocked on the door.

"Enter." Kagome jumped at hearing his voice. She was nervous about this, but she tried to calm down. Kagome opened the door and went in.

Sesshomaru turned to face Kagome. Kagome froze at what she saw. Sesshomaru wasn't wearing anything except for a towel around his waist, and there was water sliding down his body. Kagome stared at his chest. It was perfectly toned and muscled, it heaved in and out with his breathing. His hair clung to his face and body, and Kagome couldn't help but stare. _He looks so . . . __**tempting. **__That isn't the word I would've picked. _Kagome noticed that he had the same markings from his wrist on his ankles and waist.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you while you're getting dressed." Kagome turned to leave, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

"I wouldn't have told you to enter if it wasn't all right." Kagome stepped away from the door and turned to Sesshomaru.

"It's okay, I can wait until later." Kagome tried to open the door again, but Sesshomaru grabbed her arm.

"It's fine." Sesshomaru let go and went to the other side of the room to dry himself off with a towel.

"Sorry if I came in at a bad time, but I want to tell you something." Sesshomaru put the towel down and looked at Kagome. Her face was turned away, and her face was bright red.

"What is it?" Kagome stuttered and stumbled with her words as she tried to get it out.

"I-I think t-that I . . . I'm sorry, it's hard for me to say." Sesshomaru was amused by what she was doing. _**I bet she's going to tell you that she likes you! **__Be quiet. _

"Kagome, it doesn't matter what you say, just say it." Kagome took a deep breath and gathered herself together.

"Sesshomaru, I know that it hasn't been very long since we found out about the Flower of Fate and everything, but, and I know you probably don't feel the same, I think I like you." Kagome nearly collapsed. She had never felt more nervous in her life.

Sesshomaru could hardly believe it. Kagome had the same feelings for him that he had for her. "Do you like me back?" Sesshomaru looked Kagome in the eye. He didn't have any idea what to say.

"Kagome, you are a very . . . interesting and . . . unique person." Kagome stared at him for a minute.

"Oh, okay. Well, I should be going now." Before Sesshomaru could stop her, Kagome ran out the door and down the hall. She stopped when she came to a dead end and sat against the wall. _I knew it, he doesn't feel the same. Why am I so upset? It's not like I love him . . . still, I was hoping for a better answer. People only use words like 'interesting' or 'unique' when they don't like the other person and they don't want to hurt them. __**Or, they say that when they can't think of anything else because it was unexpected, and they really like you. **__You have an answer for everything, don't you? _

Kagome hugged her knees and sat silently against the wall. She didn't know why she was this upset. She only liked him, it wasn't as if the world was collapsing just because Sesshomaru didn't like her. _But . . . I can't help feeling a little like my world has collapsed. _Kagome let go of her knees. _Come on, try to be tough. This doesn't mean that my life is over. _Kagome didn't want to overreact to this, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling sad.

"Kagome, did I say something that upset you?" Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. She had been too busy to notice him.

"No, Sesshomaru, it's okay. I'm just overreacting, you don't need to worry about me." Sesshomaru sat next to Kagome.

"I didn't mean to say what I did, I was simply surprised. I didn't know what else to say." Kagome rested her chin in her knees.

"What else is there to say? I know you don't like me. It was stupid of me to say that."

"That, miko, is where you are wrong." Kagome's head snapped up as she looked at Sesshomaru.

"What?" Sesshomaru looked away and sighed.

"I was trying to tell you earlier, but I have never felt like this about anyone. It is strange to me, and I was unsure of how to express my feelings. Kagome, I don't know exactly how to say this, but I think . . . I believe that I like you as well." Kagome was stunned to hear this. She hadn't ever dreamed that Sesshomaru would like her back.

Kagome tried to fight it, but her head started to feel light, she started feeling dizzy, and the last thing Kagome remembered was Sesshomaru calling her name.

oOo

"Myoga! Myoga! Where are you, you stupid flea?!" Inuyasha was walking around Totosai's home to find Myoga, since that was where Myoga usually was when there wasn't anything else to do.

"Master Inuyasha, what do you need?" Myoga's voice came from the cave that Totosai called home. Inuyasha went into the cave and saw Totosai working on a sword.

"Where's Myoga?" Inuyasha suddenly felt a sting on his neck. He slapped the spot and watched Myoga fall to the floor. Myoga returned to normal and sat in the palm of Inuyasha's hand.

"Master Inuyasha, what is it that you need from me?" Inuyasha glared at the flea youkai.

"How do you get rid of a Flower of Fate?" Myoga's eyes popped out of his head.

"The Flower of Fate?! I haven't heard of one of those since Izayoi was alive!" Inuyasha slapped Myoga to stop his yelling.

"Myoga, why are you so surprised? What does the Flower of Fate have to do with my mother? Did she have one?" Myoga calmed himself down.

"Your mother did have one. It resembled a lily, and it was the same color blue as your father's stripes that were on his face. Why are you interested?" Inuyasha looked down.

"Kagome has one."

"Oh, she does? Tell me, the Flower of Fate resembles a marking on the male youkai's face, but you don't have any markings, so what does it look like?"

"It's not for me. Kagome's flower told her to go with . . . Sesshomaru."

"Ah, so your older brother stole your woman, eh? Serves you right, ungrateful mutt." Inuyasha punched Totosai on the head.

"He didn't 'steal' Kagome. It's that stupid flower. She doesn't even like him! That's why I need to know how to get rid of it!" Myoga gave Inuyasha a confused look.

"What do you mean 'get rid of it'? Do you want to take Kagome away from Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha glared at him.

"Of course I do! She doesn't belong with him!" Totosai blew fire on the sword he was making.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but there isn't a way to do that. Although it's unusual for a human girl to find the flower, two people brought together by the Flower of Fate are destined to be together." Inuyasha's ears bent down in disappointment.

"You mean there's no way to get Kagome back?"

"Of course, you stupid mutt! Just make Kagome your mate! She doesn't have to go with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha was too surprised to punch Totosai.

"She doesn't have to go with him? Then what's the point of the flower?" Myoga resettled himself in Inuyasha's palm.

"The Flower of Fate is meant as a guide to bring two people together that are perfect for each other, but normally wouldn't even consider being mates. The flower of always found by a female, usually a youkai, and the female is meant to mate a male youkai, but the female has the right to reject the male if she feels that he will not be able to meet her needs in a mate."

"So she could come back to me?" Myoga nodded.

"But, there is a price. Two people brought together by the Flower of Fate are destined to be with each other. If either one doesn't want to complete the mating, then they will not be able to find another mate, and if they do, they will not be able to have children." Inuyasha froze. Kagome had told the group more than once how badly she wanted her own children. It was part of the reason she had adopted Shippo, but Inuyasha knew Kagome wanted children of her own bloodline, kids that she could be proud to say that they were hers.

"So even if Kagome didn't go with Sesshomaru, and she took me back, she wouldn't be able to have the one thing she wants most." Totosai turned to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, it is well known by all of her friends, even me, how much Kagome wants kids of her own. I understand, I've always been interested in having kids, but I'm too old now. She's young, and a wonderful girl. She's helped many people, she more than deserves her own children. I'm sure even cold-hearted Sesshomaru might be willing to like her, even love her, if that's possible. It's best if you just leave her alone." Inuyasha wanted to punch Totosai a hundred times, but he was right. Those were the wisest words Totosai had ever told him. Kagome deserved her own family, but she also deserved someone who loved her, and Inuyasha had failed at that, and he was sure that Sesshomaru would do the same. Someone like him couldn't love anyone. Inuyasha didn't want Kagome's heart broken again.

"I'm going to find her. I may not be able to be her mate, I'm sure Kagome wouldn't take me back after what I did to her, but I want to make sure she gets what she deserves. She deserves kids of her own, but she also deserves someone who loves her. I'm almost certain that Sesshomaru isn't capable of that, so I'm going to find her and watch her, and possibly even help Sesshomaru love her if it means Kagome's happiness." Inuyasha dropped Myoga from his hand and left. Myoga sat on Totosai's shoulder.

"So, the first-born son of InuTaishou has a mate? I didn't think it would ever happen." Myoga rubbed his chin with his hand.

"Yes, but I'm unsure of this. Kagome is a nice girl, with tasty blood, but how could she be a match for Sesshomaru, who has always been so cold towards everyone?" Totosai hammered at the sword.

"Sometimes, Myoga, these things just work themselves out."

oOo

Kagome opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a bedroom, but it wasn't hers. There was a blanket on top of her.

"What happened?" Kagome sat up and held her head. She saw Sesshomaru sitting in a chair nearby, and that's when everything hit her. _I can't believe I fainted! That was so stupid! More importantly, Sesshomaru told me he likes me! I can't believe it! _Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, who was watching her.

"Kagome, do you feel all right?" Kagome nodded slightly.

"It was . . . so shocking. I didn't expect you to say that you liked me back. I've never pictured you like that." Kagome threw the blanket back and stood. Sesshomaru stood and put his hand on her shoulder.

"If you are not careful, you may faint again."

"I can't believe I fainted, it was weak of me." Kagome stepped away from Sesshomaru. "I'm sorry about this. I'll get going." Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her to him. Kagome bumped into his chest. Her memories of earlier returned. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts.

"Kagome, you are not weak. I know I have said so before, but I misjudged you. You are a very strong person, and I will admit that I have feelings for you. Stay here for a minute." Kagome felt as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Sesshomaru, I don't understand. How could you like me? I'm a miko, I used to be human, I am weak, especially compared to you, and I don't think I'm very good-looking." Sesshomaru growled.

"Kagome, I am tired of you putting yourself down. What my brother said before were lies. You are powerful, and beautiful. I have only begun to realize my feelings and even I know this. My brother was an idiot who did not want to give up a dead woman. Now listen to me, I do not want to hear anything from you that insults you in any way. Have confidence in yourself." Kagome tried to take in what Sesshomaru had said. He didn't even love her and he was telling her the opposite of everything Inuyasha had always said.

Kagome looked up at him. "Sesshomaru, you really think that you have feelings for me?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"It's hard not to. Only an idiot such as Jaken would not have some type of affection towards you. Shippo and Rin see you as a mother, Ah-Un sees you as a friend, and I see you as something more than a friend. I am not saying I love you, because love is complicated, and I have never experienced it before, but I like you enough to tell you that I am tired of seeing you hurt." Kagome leaned her head into Sesshomaru's chest. His armor hurt her head a little, but she didn't care. It seemed to her that Sesshomaru had just told her everything she needed to hear.

Sesshomaru could hardly believe what he had said. He had never said anything like that to anyone before, but Sesshomaru had just said what came to his mind, what he felt was right. Kagome needed someone right now, and Sesshomaru felt a strange feeling inside him. He wanted to be that someone, to help Kagome recover from the wounds that his idiot brother had left. He and Kagome stayed like that for a few minutes, Kagome leaning against Sesshomaru's chest with his arm around her. To Kagome, it felt good. Inuyasha had done this a few time before, but she had never felt like this. Sesshomaru felt the same, and he didn't want to let go. He had never anything close to this in his entire life, and he never wanted to let go for his life.

After a while, Kagome came to her senses and realized what she was doing. "Um, Sesshomaru, could you let go?" Sesshomaru heard her request and, slowly, let go of her. Kagome went to the door, her legs feeling shaky, and she opened the door. She turned to Sesshomaru. "I guess I'll see you at lunch."

"It's past lunch. You were out for a while."

"Oh, okay, then I guess I'll see you at dinner. Bye." Kagome left and closed the door. Sesshomaru sat in a chair. _What did I just do? I have never even thought of holding a woman like that. What came over me? __**Must I tell you everything? I know that you know you like Kagome, so why is it hard to believe that you held her like that for a few minutes? I told you that she liked you back. **__Must you pester me? I have never held a woman like that before. I wasn't even remotely aware that Kagome returned my feelings. __**Aw, isn't that cute? Little puppy is experiencing love for the first time. **__Silence! I will not have you mock me! This is nothing that I can't handle! __**Whatever, not my fault if you screw up and lose Kagome. **_His inner youkai left, but Sesshomaru could still hear his words. He wasn't familiar with love, and if he did anything wrong, he could lose Kagome like he almost did before.

End

Hey!!!!! Again, I'm really sorry about not posting. My computer was busted! I'm sorry! I hope you can forgive me! I hope you guys liked this chapter. I had a hard time expressing how Sesshomaru and Kagome felt. 500 reviews! Yay! Thank you so much for reviewing! I'll try and post regularly, but it might be difficult. Again, sorry! I tried to make this chapter longer to make up for it! I'm going to try and make my chapters longer from now on, too! I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'll update A.S.A.P.! Bye-Bye!


	28. A Miko Can Work Wonders

Sesshomaru folded his arms behind his head. He was on his bed, still thinking about what had happened. Kagome hadn't even looked at him during dinner, and when he tried to make conversation, she had spoken as little as possible until he had given up.

"Kagome and I have finally revealed our feelings for each other, but it seems to have made things more difficult."

"Darn it!" Sesshomaru turned his head to look at the balcony on the other side of the room. He stood and walked over to the balcony to look down to the garden.

Kagome was in the garden, searching for something. She was frantically looking through the

flowers. "Why can't I find it?!" Sesshomaru watched her for a minute before he decided to help her. He jumped down from the balcony and landed next to her.

Kagome jumped and looked up at Sesshomaru. She was on her hands and knees, covered in mud from the rain. "Sesshomaru? What is it?"

"Are you looking for something?" Kagome looked at the ground.

"I was wearing a necklace, and I took it off for a minute to adjust to length of the chain, but there was a sudden strong wind, and it was blown out of my hand, and now I can't find it." Kagome looked up again and gasped. Sesshomaru's shirt was clinging to his skin from the rain, and she could see his muscles. She shook her head and began looking again.

Sesshomaru bent down and searched for a few minutes. The rain seemed to increase as it poured down and soaked them both. Sesshomaru glimpsed a piece of metal hidden in the mud. He grabbed it and pulled it up. It was a necklace with a silver chain and a small, dark blue crescent moon hanging from it. "My necklace! Thank you so much!" Sesshomaru gave it to her, and Kagome quickly put it around her neck.

"Why is it important to you?" Kagome looked away. _I'm still nervous from what happened earlier. __**Get over it! You're never going to make progress with him if you act like that! **_

"My mom . . . she gave it to me when I was little. She said that her grandmother hadgiven it to her on her birthday and she gave it to me. Kind of ironic, huh?" Kagome managed a weak smile.

Sesshomaru nodded slightly and looked back at his balcony.

"We should go back inside. You'll catch cold if you stay out here." Kagome looked up, and couldn't help staring at his muscles. Her eyes drifted to his left arm. She cringed. His sleeve clung to his arm, and she could see through his shirt where it was cut off.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I know it must be hard for you." Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow in question.

"What do you mean?" Kagome reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Your arm . . . when Inuyasha cut it off . . . it's somewhat my fault, because I was the one who gave him the sword."

"It was not your fault. My brother was the one who removed my arm, not you. You should not feel sorry." Kagome bent her head.

"I know I didn't do it myself, but I still feel responsible, and seeing you like this makes me feel bad, especially since you don't even want Tetsusaiga anymore."

A few minutes passed in silence. "Sesshomaru, would you mind if . . . if I tried to fix it?"

"What do you mean?" Kagome paused to take a breath.

"If I tried to fix your arm. I can't stand it any more." Sesshomaru thought about it.

"If you want to, I will allow you to try." Kagome thought for a few minutes about how she would do this. She moved her hands and began feeling his right arm.

"Hold still." She moved her hands up and down, trying to get a good feel of his muscles. She focused to try and memorize the feel. After a few minutes, she moved her hands to his left arm. She roled up his sleeve andconcentrated her mind and focused her attention to his arm. Kagome held his arm where it was cut off, and started moving down. As she moved down, a light pink light glowed where her hands had been. The light swirled and changed, and began forming the shape of an arm. Kagome continued moving down until she had reached the area where his hand would've been.

Sesshomaru was shocked to see the light slowly forming his arm. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The light grew brighter, and Sesshomaru had to close his eyes to avoid being blinded.

When he opened his eyes, Sesshomaru was amazed to see that his left arm was completed, identical to his right. He moved and flexed it, testing to make sure it worked. It was exactly like it had been before.

"Kagome, how did you do this?" Kagome didn't respond. Sesshomaru roled his sleeve down and looked over to her.

Kagome was lying on the ground, panting from exhaustion. Sesshomaru rushed to her side. "Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome opened her eyes.

"I think so, but I feel really tired. Is your arm back?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"It's just as it was before. Thank you." Sesshomaru put his hand behind her head and lifted her up, wrapping his arms around her. It felt good to hold her, but it felt even better to hold her with both arms.

"I had forgotten what it felt like to have both arms. One of the reasons I could never beat my brother or Naraku was because my power had been decreased from the loss of my arm. This will help me in many ways, not just in battle." Sesshomaru gently squeezed Kagome.

Kagome subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad that you're happy. The guilt was hurting me. I didn't want you to go through life without your arm. I'm sure that it hurt your ego too, knowing your brother had hurt you." Sesshomaru held tighter to Kagome. The rain poured down in an ocean of water.

"We should go inside. We'll catch cold if we stay out here." Kagome nodded and Sesshomaru picked her up and jumped to his balcony. He set Kagome down and sat on his bed. "Go take a bath in the hot spring. It'll warm you up." Kagome nodded and walk to the door.

"Good night." Kagome opened the door and left the room. Sesshomaru sighed and watched the door close. _I wish I had been able to do what I wanted. __**You coward! You had her in your arms, one of which she restored for you. Why didn't you take the chance?! **__I was afraid she would reject me. __**You should have done it! **_

Sesshomaru sighed again and tried to sleep. When he had been holding Kagome, he had desperately wanted to kiss her.

oOo

"Another youkai lord is coming?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"The other three lords wish to meet you and see if you are worthy of being my mate, so one of the lords is going to come here and stay for a few days and tell the other two lords what you're like." Kagome started playing with her food. They were eating breakfast. It was the morning after Kagome had restored Sesshomaru's arm. The entire castle had been extremely happy to find out that their lord had his left arm back. Rin was especially ecstatic.

"Do you know who is coming, and when they'll be here?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I was told this morning that the lord left last night, and if he flew here, then he should be here shortly."

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Rei is here." Kagome's eyes widened. _Speak of the devil. _A servant came walking into the dining room. "He wants to see you." Sesshomaru stood and motioned for Kagome to follow.

They walked out of the dining room and into the front entrance. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, regal looking youkai. His hair was light, almost silver, green, and he had a bright green sun mark on his forehead. His eyes were dark blue, almost like an ocean.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's wonderful to see you. It's been a long time." Sesshomaru extended his hand and they shook.

"Lord Rei, it's a pleasure to see you as well. This is Kagome." Kagome bowed and smiled.

"It's nice to meet another youkai lord. I've always been curious if there were other lords, since Sesshomaru is the Lord of the West." Lord Rei raised his eyebrow.

"You don't use Lord Sesshomaru's title?" Kagome paused until she realized what he meant.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've never been inclined to use it." Lord Rei turned to Sesshomaru.

"She's never used your title?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I will explain later. I want to speak to you privately. Kagome, you may continue breakfast."

Kagome nodded and smiled at Lord Rei again before going back to finish breakfast.

Sesshomaru watched Kagome leave and turned to go to his study. Lord Rei followed him and sat at the desk in his study. Sesshomaru sat and looked Lord Rei in the eye. "I didn't think you would be here so soon."

"I flew here. Kagome is a beautiful youkai, but I've heard that she used to be a human. Is that true?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"She was a human who traveled with my younger half-brother. I had only seen her a few times when I went to battle him, and I didn't care for her. Recently, she found a Flower of Fate, which matches my crescent moon. When I discovered that she was supposed to be my mate, she began traveling with me, bringing her adopted fox kit, Shippo, with her. She turned into a youkai just before I came to have her travel with me, but I do not know why."

"I see. Why doesn't she use your title?"

"She never did because we didn't care for each other before she had the flower. I don't mind whether or not she uses it."

"She's a miko too, isn't she?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Was she the one who restored your arm?" Sesshomaru looked at his left arm.

"Yes, she was. I'm not quite sure how she accomplished it. It must have taken an extreme amount of power." Lord Rei tapped his fingers on the desk.

"I suppose she's strong. You said she adopted a fox kit? Most human and youkai won't do that."

"She is very kind. I have seen her with both Rin and Shippo. She will be a wonderful mother."

"Mother? Are you looking forward to that already?" Sesshomaru growled.

"Do not imply that I have vulgar thoughts such as that. I am simply saying that she will make a good mother when she has pups to care for."

"Tell me, what is it that you like about her?" Sesshomaru looked away. _What do I like about her? __**Everything. **__Quiet. _

"Kagome is caring and kind. She would be ready to help anyone in need, and she is very beautiful, with a wonderful singing voice. She is also strong, and she can almost keep up with me in battle with a whip of light."

"She can almost keep up in battle? How long has she been able to do this?"

"We tried battling this morning, and Kagome could almost keep up with me."

"That's impressive, considering the fact that you're one of the most powerful youkai in the land. How much do you like her?" Sesshomaru was caught off guard by his question.

"I have feelings for her, and she has feelings for me as well, but we do not love each other." A loud explosion erupted through the castle. Sesshomaru shot up from his seat.

"That came from the dining room." Sesshomaru and Lord Rei left the study and went to the dining room to see what had happened.

Kagome was in the dining room, standing up, and staring at the wall. Sesshomaru looked at the wall. There was a huge hole in it.

"Kagome, what happened?" Kagome turned to Sesshomaru.

"I don't know. I finished breakfast, so I stood up to leave, and I waved to the kids, and all of the sudden this blast came out of my hand and went through the wall."

People on the other side of the wall were looking through the hole to see what had caused it. Sesshomaru looked at the hole and back to Kagome. She was trembling, shocked from her powers. Sesshomaru placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"It's fine. I will have my servants repair it." Kagome took deep breaths to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to do anything. I'm just glad that no one was hurt." Shippo turned to Rin and Hatori.

"Is there something strange about Sesshomaru?" Hatori looked at Sesshomaru and back at Shippo.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at him. He looks different. He doesn't look as threatening as he usually does." Rin stared at Sesshomaru for a minute. Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Shippo, you're right. He looks a lot nicer than he usually does." Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome, who was still looking at the wall. He moved his hand down from her shoulder and took her hand. Kagome jumped and looked up at him.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Sesshomaru didn't answer, but gently squeezed her hand.

-End-

Hey! Sorry it's been so long! My computer is finally fixed! Yipee! I hope you liked this chapter! You all wanted to see Sesshomaru and Kagome kiss, right? Not yet, but things between Kagome and Sesshomaru are going to be moving forward, and Kagome's going to be getting stronger. Thanks for reading! Review, please! Review review review review! I'll update A.S.A.P!


	29. A Date?

Kagome was sitting in the garden with Rin, Shippo, and Hatori. The wind was gently blowing as the kids played a game of tag. Kagome smiled as she watched them running back and forth.

"The kids are very cute. Is Shippo really your adopted son?" Kagome jumped and looked behind her to see Lord Rei.

"Oh, hello Lord Rei. I didn't notice you. I guess I was too involved in watching the kids. Yes, Shippo is my adopted son." Lord Rei sat next to her.

"I find it hard to believe that you adopted a fox kit. Almost every other youkai would've scoffed at the idea of adopting an orphan." Kagome lightly nodded, absorbed in watching the children.

"Sesshomaru told me that before."

"Mama, look at what I found!" Shippo scampered over to Kagome and showed her a tiger lily. "Rin said that there aren't many of these in the garden." Kagome smiled and took the flower to smell it.

"It's beautiful."

"You can have it, Mama. I know you like this kind of flower, don't you?" Kagome nodded and placed the flower in her lap. Shippo smiled and went back to playing.

"You are very motherly. Sesshomaru told me that he thinks you will make a good mother of your own children." Kagome froze for a second.

"Well, actually, I've wanted my own children for a while, but I'm a bit young, so I want to wait." Lord Rei gave her a confused look.

"Young? You can't be any younger than seventeen, and women are considered of marrying age as soon as they're able to have children." Kagome blushed. She had forgotten that Feudal Era women married young.

"Yes, but it feels young for me, I guess. I'm eighteen, but I'll be turning nineteen soon, in about a week."

"Oh, your birthday is next week? I wasn't aware of that. Sesshomaru never told me."

"I don't think I've told him yet. I'm sure that as soon as Rin finds out, she'll want to have a huge party." Lord Rei chuckled.

"Yes, I'm sure she would do something like that. Rin is an interesting human. I've met her once before, but she spent a great deal of time with me."

oOo

Sesshomaru watched from the trees as Lord Rei talked with Kagome. A low growl emitted from his throat, but it was too quiet for anyone to hear. _Why do I feel so possesive? __**Because Kagome is ours and she's talking it up with another male! **__She does not belong to us yet. __**'Yet' is the key word. She'll belong to us sooner or later. And I'd prefer sooner. **_

Sesshomaru glanced at the children, who seemed to be too busy with their game to notice him. He had only been in the tree for a few minutes.

He felt a pang as he realized that Kagome had never told him about her birthday. _Why hasn't she told me? Normally, she would have told me about this sooner. __**Maybe she's afraid to. **__Afraid? Why would she have any reason to be? _

Kagome noticed a familiar scent and sniffed the air. _Sesshomaru's here! _Kagome looked around until she spotted him in a large sakura tree.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, I didn't notice you there. How long were you in that tree?" Sesshomaru looked at her for a minute before jumping out of the tree. He landed next to her and sat down properly.

"Kagome, why did you not tell me your birthday was coming up?" Kagome blushed.

"You heard that? Um . . . well, I was going to but . . ." Sesshomaru dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand.

"It doesn't matter. Would you like to have a celebration? It is my understanding that humans often celebrate the day of their birth." Kagome whipped her head up to look at him.

"Don't youkai have birthday celebrations?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Not as humans do. Youkai only celebrate every five hundred years, because most youkai live for centuries." Kagome thought about it.

"I guess that makes sense. I might get tired of having my birthday a thousand times over. Would it be okay if we had it in the garden?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I can have my servants plan it. When is it exactly?"

"Let me think . . . it's in six days."

"Would you mind if I stayed?" Sesshomaru glanced at Lord Rei. "I haven't been to a birthday celebration in a long time, and I wouldn't mind giving Kagome a gift."

"Oh, you don't need to get me a gift. I barely know you, I wouldn't feel right if you gave me something." Lord Rei smiled.

"Don't worry. It's nothing, really. As a youkai lord, money isn't a problem, and you seem very nice."

"You may stay until Kagome's birthday is over, and then I want you to leave my castle." Lord Rei nodded.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I must be going now, as I haven't been here since Inu no Taishou was alive, and I'd like to familiarize myself with the layout of the castle." Lord Rei stood and left the garden.

Sesshomaru stood and began to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Sesshomaru turned back to Kagome.

"I have work to do. Is there anything you need?" Kagome looked down.

"Sesshomaru, since we told each other about our feelings, things have been uncomfortable between us. I know that it's mostly my fault, and I'm sorry. I don't want things to be like this. Could you . . . stay here for a bit longer?" Sesshomaru stared at Kagome in disbelief.

"All right." Sesshomaru sat next to Kagome. "Did you mind too much when I took your hand this morning?" Kagome smiled.

"No, it actually . . . felt really good. Your brother was the only one who ever did that, and I missed it." Sesshomaru could tell she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"My younger brother was not the only one who has held your hand. Who else did?" Kagome thought about it. She blushed as she remembered what Hojo had done.

"One time . . . I was in my time, and I went on a date with Hojo. He's a boy in my time that likes me, but I don't like him. He keeps asking me out on dates, and I usually say no, and when I say yes, it's almost always because I'm mad at your brother. We were on a date, and we went to a party that his cousin was having." Kagome shook her head from the terrible memories.

"What is a 'date'?"

"Oh, a date is when two people go out together. When you date someone for the first time, it's mostly to see if you like the person you're with, and with people who like each other, it's to show affection. The two people go to a place to have fun together. When we went to the party, Hojo drank a lot of beer, and . . . oh, beer is like sake, it damages a persons' sense of direction and judement. He walked me home, and he held my hand on the way home." Sesshomaru could tell there was something she was embarrassed about.

"What did he do to you?" Kagome blushed. _Why do I keep blushing? I wish I would stop!_

"When we reached my house, he wanted to . . . to kiss me. I said no, but he kept trying, and I slapped him. He still kept trying, so I kicked his leg and ran inside."

"Have you ever been kissed?" Kagome stared at him. _Why would he want to know something like that? _"I do not meant to pry." Kagome shook her head.

"It's fine. I've never been kissed before, but Hojo and a wolf youkai have tried to." Sesshomaru growled. "What was that?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"It was nothing." _I wonder if the youkai who tried kissing her was the same one I battled? __**Probably. **_"Kagome, you said that a date is when two people that like each other go out, correct?" Kagome nodded. "Would you like to go on a date?" Kagome froze.

_A date? With Sesshomaru? Me and him? Together? __**That's the point. **__But, I've never been on a date with someone I like. I only went out with Hojo because I felt sorry for him! __**There's nothing wrong with going out with the guy you like. **_

"Sure, that sounds fine. Where to?" Sesshomaru thought about it.

"I know of a special place that we can have lunch together. I can have my servants pack us a lunch and I will fly us there. Does that sound all right?" Kagome managed a weak smile.

"Yeah, that's fine." Sesshomaru stood.

"I will tell the servants in the kitchen to make us a lunch. I have work that I need to finish. I will meet you here by the tree in half-an-hour." Kagome nodded and smiled.

"Thank you." Sesshomaru looked at her for a minute before leaving. _Why did she thank me?_

oOo

Sesshomaru stepped outside. Kagome was waiting by the tree, gazing up at the sky.

"Kagome." Kagome turned to look at him. She saw the basket he was carrying in his left hand. She stood and walked over to him.

"Are you ready?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I will fly us there on my youkai could." Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome around the waist and summoned his youkai cloud. Kagome jumped as they flew into the air.

Once they were in the air, Kagome relaxed. The wind blew gently around them. Kagome looked down.

"We're so high up. I've never been this high up before." Sesshomaru tightened his grip.

"The place we're going to is a special place no one else knows about. You must promise me that you will tell no one of this place." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru.

"It's special? All right, I won't tell anyone."

oOo

"Shippo, did you see that?! Lord Sesshomaru and Kagome went somewhere together!" Rin ran from her balcony and sat next to Shippo. Hatori was in the bathroom.

"They did? That's great! Do you know where?" Rin shook her head.

"I think Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru are getting to like each other more. I saw him hold her hand this morning after the accident." Shippo beamed.

"I can't believe Sesshomaru and Mama like each other! Mama's been lonely since Inuyasha promised himself to Kikyo, it's good that Sesshomaru is starting to like her. But with his personality, it's hard to believe. He's usually really mean."

"I know. Lord Sesshomaru isn't very kind, but it looks like he's softening up, finally." Shippo and Rin giggled.

"An intruder! An intruder! Block the castle entrance!" Rin and Shippo looked up in surprise.

"I wonder what's going on?" Rin stood and looked out in the halls. Shippo followed her.

"Where's Kagome?! Let me see her!" Shippo's eyes went wide. That was Inuyasha's voice.

-End-

Hey! I'm sorry! I'm really really really sorry!! I couldn't post chapters because my computer broke again! Sorry!! Please forgive me!! I'm so very very sorry!!

Anyway, I'm also sorry this chapter couldn't be longer, but I thought it was a good ending spot. And now, to those of you who don't already know, I have a special surprise! I have another SessKag story! It's called 'A Lost Memory' and takes place after a battle with Naraku, when Kagome and everyone else is knocked unconscious, and when Kagome wakes up, she can't remember anything! Sesshomaru wanders into the area, and when she sees him (since she doesn't remember that he's her enemy) she asks him for help, and Sesshomaru reluctantly decides to help. Why? Read and find out! Please read it! I wanted to write another SessKag, and it'll make me really happy if you could read and review it! Please! Also, please review this chapter! Review review review review! Please! I have to go, I'll try and post again A.S.A.P.! Please read and review my new story, and review this chapter! Bye!


	30. Happy Birthday!

Shippo ran down the hall with Rin following close behind, pulling Hatori along.

"Inuyasha? Who's that?" Rin caught up with Shippo.

"Inuyasha hurt Mama by insulting her and calling her names. He shouldn't be here." The children continued down the hall until they came to the entrance hall. Inuyasha was standing with Tetsusaiga drawn.

"Where is she?! Let me see her!" Gaurds were surrounding him.

"Inuyasha!" Everyone froze and turned to look at Shippo. "What are you doing here and what do you want with Kagome?" Inuyasha lowered his sword.

"These stupid gaurds wouldn't let me in, so I blasted my way in here. I need to talk with Kagome and warn her."

"Warn her about what?! How much of a jerk you are?! She already knows that!" Inuyasha punched Shippo on the head. The guards grabbed him from behind.

"How dare you hurt the future Lady's son?!" Inuyasha struggled.

"Future Lady?! You have to be kidding me!" Inuyasha broke free and glared at Shippo.

"Where is she?!"

"Mama's not here! Sesshomaru will kill you when he finds out that you were here!" Inuyasha smiled and ran out off the castle.

"That's all I needed!"

oOo

Sesshomaru descended and landed gently on the ground. He released Kagome and started to walk away. Kagome followed him and looked at the scenery. The trees were different, they seemed more graceful than the trees around the castle. It was also quieter here.

"Sesshomaru, this place is so quiet." Sesshomaru didn't answer. They continued for a few minutes until Sesshomaru stopped.

"Mistukai." The air seemed to ripple like water. A barrier appeared and opened. Sesshomaru stepped through the opening. Kagome observed the barrier before following.

"What was that name that you said? Doesn't it mean 'angel'?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"It was my mother's name. My father set up a special area for her shortly after they mated. Although I dislike my mother, my father was fond of this area." Kagome smiled.

"It's nice that you still go to a special place that your father liked." Sesshomaru put his arm in front of Kagome.

"Close your eyes." Kagome nodded and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru placed his hand over her eyes to make sure she didn't see anything. He slowly started to lead her foreward.

Kagome hesitated as Sesshomaru led her. _Why is he covering my eyes? I feel so nervous. What if I trip and embarrass myself? __**Relax, will you? Sesshomaru won't let you trip. **_

Sesshomaru continued to lead her for a while until he stopped, but he kept his hand on her eyes. "This is where we will eat." Sesshomaru pulled his hand away. Kagome gasped.

They were standing in front of a small pond with an island in the middle. On the island was a weeping willow tree, and a small spot under the tree, shaded by the leaves.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, it's beautiful." Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist and lept onto the island. He let go and pulled back the leaves like a curtain. Kagome smiled and walked under the leaves. Sesshomaru followed and and sat on the ground. Kagome sat next to him and waited while he opened the basket and set up their lunch.

Sesshomaru took out a blanket and stretched it out. He set down two plates, two cups of hot tea, and a few plates of food.

"Help yourself." Kagome used her chopsticks to pick a few pieces of food and set them on her plate.

"How did you bring the tea without it spilling?"

"I have my ways." Kagome shrugged and drank it.

"Thank you for bringing me here. It's very nice, and I'm honored that you would let me see a place that's secret and special to you." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I had wanted to show this to you at some point. I'm glad that you like it." They were silent for a while as they ate. The wind blew gently around them.

"It's almost fall, which means winter will hit soon. Don't you have to prepare your castle for the winter every year?" Sesshomaru finished swallowing his fish.

"I am rarely at the castle at all. I do not enjoy being confined in one space for too long." A loud crash caused them to turn their heads. They heard another crash, and Sesshomaru stood and put his hand on Tokijin's hilt.

Inuyasha burst into the area with Red Tetsusaiga drawn. He looked around until he saw Kagome.

"Kagome! Finally, I found you! What's Sesshomaru doing to you?! He must be doing something, I had to use Red Tetsusaiga to break down a barrier and get in here." Kagome stood.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Kagome tried to walk up to him, but Sesshomaru put his arm in front of her.

"Little brother, what do you want with Kagome? She has no business with you." Inuyasha growled.

"What are you doing to her?! Why did you have a barrier around this place?!" Sesshomaru drew Tokijin.

"That is not your concern, but I will have you know that I would never do anything to Kagome. Leave, before I tear you to shreds." Inuyasha turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, I don't want to hurt you or fight with Sesshomaru. I just need to talk." Kagome stepped around Sesshomaru and leaped off of the island. Inuyasha looked surprised for a minute, until he remembered that Kagome was a youkai.

"Inuyasha, if you promise not to fight, I'll talk with you." Inuyasha nodded and put away Tetsusaiga.

"I wanted to warn you. I heard that, because you have the Flower of Fate, you can't have kids unless you're with Sesshomaru." Kagome lowered her gaze.

"Yes, that's true." Inuyasha put his hand on Kagome's shoulder. Sesshomaru snarled. Kagome shot him a look. "He doesn't want to fight, Sesshomaru."

"Kagome, Inuyasha hurt you before, and I don't want him to hurt you again."

"He's not going to. If he does anything, I'll let you go after him, but not unless I say so. I don't want unnecessary fighting." Sesshomaru nodded slightly. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha.

"Kagome, I just want to tell you that you deserve to be with someone that loves you, and I have to say that Sesshomaru isn't that kind of person. He would never love anyone, and to love him would be useless. I know that you want a family, and can't have it without him, but it would hurt you more if you mated to Sesshomaru and he didn't love you. I don't want to say this, but he probably doesn't even care about you." Kagome's eyes went wide.

"Inuyasha . . . how could you say that?!" Inuyasha jumped back. Kagome glared at him. "Sesshomaru told me before that he cares for me, and now he even has feelings for me! He took me out here on a date because he wanted to show me a place that was special to him! He cares for me, and if you cared at all, you wouldn't have said something so terrible about him!" A red aura was flaring around Kagome. Inuyasha took a few steps back. Kagome stepped toward him.

Sesshomaru leaped off the island and pulled Kagome to him from behind.

"Kagome, calm down. You're powers will be unleashed and you'll do something you will regret later." The aura disappeared almost immediately, and Kagome took a few deep breaths. Sesshomaru turned her to face him. "You have to be careful with your temper. I'm not sure why, but I think your miko powers are increasing, and I don't want another accident to happen." Kagome nodded.

"I'm sorry. I let my temper get away from me." Without thinking, Sesshomaru hugged Kagome and began stroking her hair. Kagome blushed. _He's hugging me! This feels strange, but . . . I think I like it. _

Inuyasha silently watched them. _Who the hell does Sesshomaru think he is?! Since when does he have the right to hug her like that?! Since when does he even have two arms?! I bet he tricked Kagome into doing that for him. __Then again . . . I didn't think he actually cared about Kagome, but the way he stopped her like that . . . he sounded like he was worried about her. _For the first time in his life, Inuyasha thought that Sesshomaru had feelings.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's hard for me to believe that Sesshomaru cares for anyone, but . . . the way he was just talking to you made it sound like he was really worried. Will you forgive me?" Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha.

"You shouldn't assume that Sesshomaru doesn't care, just because he fights with you. Even before he liked me, he had Rin with him, and he protected her. I'm still mad at you." Inuyasha knelt down on one knee.

"You have the right to be mad. I'm sorry, and I promise I won't say that Sesshomaru doesn't care about you. I know I've been an idiot in the past. The truth is, the reason I was so mean to you before is because I didn't want to fall in love with you and betray Kikyo." Kagome gasped.

"You . . . didn't want to fall in love?" Inuyasha hung his head.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to betray Kikyo, but I think I loved you whether I liked it or not. I still love you, but I realize my chance is gone. I was only being loyal to Kikyo. I'm very sorry. Before, when I accidentally killed Kikyo, I asked Myoga if there was a way to get you back from Sesshomaru and the Flower of Fate, but I learned that you couldn't have kids if you weren't with him, so I left. But, if possible . . . since Kikyo isn't here anymore, I tried to go back to Miroku and Sango, but they wouldn't let me stay with them, so . . . could I stay with you?" Kagome froze.

"You want to stay with me?" Inuyasha nodded.

"I want to travel with you, even if it means being near Sesshomaru. I don't want to be by myself again. I was alone for so many years. Even if you and I can't be mates, I still want to be friends." Kagome thought about it. Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her. Kagome pulled away from him and stepped closer to Inuyasha.

"Only if you swear to be kind to both the children and Sesshomaru."

"Children?"

"Shippo, Rin, and a cat hanyou that's staying with us named Hatori." Inuyasha nodded.

"I swear I'll be kind. I just want us to be friends again." Kagome smiled.

"You're lucky that I'm a forgiving person. But I'm not sure Sesshomaru will let you stay in the castle." Kagome looked at him. Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I don't want him in my castle." Inuyasha stood.

"That's fine. I don't want to stay in it anyway." Kagome sighed. She looked back at the area where she had been eating.

"What are we going to do about our date?" Sesshomaru glanced back.

"Inuyasha, go back to the castle. I want to continue my date with Kagome in peace." Inuyasha nodded and leaped away into the forest. Kagome sat on the grass.

"I don't want to stay mad at him, but I can't help feeling angry about what he said about you." Sesshomaru sat next to her.

"Don't let it bother you." Kagome smiled.

"Oh, can I ask one more question before we go back to our date?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Why did you hug me before?" Sesshomaru paused.

"Because . . . I care for you and didn't want you to do something you'd regret."

"You didn't have to hug me." Sesshomaru looked away. "But . . . it did feel nice. Could you . . . could you hug me again?" Sesshomaru looked at her for a minute, and nodded.

"Of course." Sesshomaru shifted closer to Kagome and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her while she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you."

oOo

Inuyasha sighed as he reached the castle. _Damn it! He really does like her! I can't believe Sesshomaru, of all people, likes Kagome!_

"This sucks." Inuyasha stepped up to the front gate. The gaurds eyed him suspiciously.

"What business do you have here, half-breed? Didn't you cause enough of a commotion last time?" Inuyasha growled.

"I'm friends with Kagome. I need to talk to Shippo and Rin." The gaurds glanced at each other before stepping aside.

"We will be keeping an eye on you." Inuyasha walked inside. He wandered around the castle for a few minutes until he caught Shippo's scent. He followed it down the halls and came to a bedroom in the royal wing. He opened the door and looked inside.

"Fox Fire!" Inuyasha jumped back as his face was burned by the attack. Inuyasha swiped the illusion away and glared at Shippo. Rin and Hatori were sitting nearby.

"What was that for?!" Shippo growled.

"I don't want you here!" Inuyasha picked Shippo up by his collar.

"Too bad! Kagome agreed to let me stay here!" Shippo froze.

"Mama let you stay? Why? Did you threaten her?" Inuyasha dropped Shippo.

"No, I didn't. I apologized and promised that I wouldn't hurt her. I came here because I wanted to let her know that Sesshomaru wouldn't have feelings for her, but I was wrong." They were silent for a minute.

"Lord Sesshomaru likes Lady Kagome a lot." Everyone looked at Hatori.

"Hey, you're that hanyou kid Kagome told me about. Why are you here?" Hatori looked away.

"My family was killed and Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru were kind enough to let me stay here until I can care for myself. They both like each other a lot, and it's obvious." Inuyasha scoffed.

"I know that much. I saw Sesshomaru hug her. He'd have to be crazy to do that if he didn't like her. Anyway, I'm staying nearby, since Sesshomaru won't let me stay in the castle, and once you guys start traveling again, I'm going with you."

"Inuyasha, you're a lucky bastard for Kagome to forgive you." Everyone shot him a look.

"Shippo, I've never heard you swear before!" Shippo looked at Rin and blushed.

"I thought I would try it, since Inuyasha is always swearing. Mama told me it's bad to do it as a habit, and I don't think I'm going to do it that much, but Inuyasha deserved it." Inuyasha growled and resisted the urge to punch him.

"You're lucky Kagome told me not to hurt you. I can't risk losing her friendship now, or else I'll be alone again."

oOo

Kagome regained her footing after she and Sesshomaru landed. They were just outside the castle gate.

"Thank you again for taking me on a date, Sesshomaru. I enjoyed every minute of it." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I'm glad. I am sorry our date was interrupted." Kagome smiled.

"That's okay. I'm going to go to the garden. See you later." Kagome waved good-bye and left. Sesshomaru went inside and gave the basket of empty plates to one of his servants. He went into his study and sat at his desk.

Sesshomaru noticed a note on the desk and opened it.

_Did you enjoy your date? I hope it went well. Your younger brother was here earlier and attempted to hurt Shippo, but I think he's fine. You should tell me all about the date later, or I could always ask Kagome. I'm looking foreword to her birthday celebration next week, but I have to leave for a two days on an errand. See you soon. -Lord Rei_

Sesshomaru crumpled the note and tossed it aside. _He's too nosy for his own good. How did he even know what a date was, or that we had one? _Sesshomaru growled as he realized that Lord Rei must have been spying on them.

Sesshomaru took out some paperwork and started working on it. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. Sesshomaru sniffed the air. It was Inuyasha.

"Enter." Inuyasha opened the door and sat across from him.

"I need to talk to you." Sesshomaru continued his paperwork.

"About what?" Inuyasha fixed his gaze on Sesshomaru.

"Do you really have feelings for Kagome?" Sesshomaru put his quill down.

"Of course I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have done what I did today. Kagome is sweet, honest, and very kind. I'm surprised that you were so cruel to her for a dead woman."

"I know that I was stupid! You don't need to remind me. I just want to know if you care for her. I won't let Kagome mate someone who doesn't love her." Sesshomaru looked away.

"My feelings for Kagome are developing more quickly than I thought. I care for her more than anyone, and I want to make her happy. I am unsure if I'm in love with her yet, but I want to protect her and keep her safe and happy. I know that much." Inuyasha stood.

"That's good enough. Sesshomaru, I still hate your guts, but if it's for Kagome, then I won't hurt you. But if you do anything to her, I will make you pay." Inuyasha left and slammed the door closed.

oOo

Kagome woke up and yawned. It was time for her training. She changed into her battle outfit and went to the dojo. Sesshomaru was already there.

It was the day before her birthday. Sesshomaru had confirmed that Kagome was excellent with the whip of light, and it was time to move onto a new power, but Sesshomaru hadn't told her which power it was yet. Recently, the kids had been avoiding Kagome, going off to do something else, and she hadn't seen much of Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru looked up as Kagome walked into the dojo. It was the day before her birthday, and he still didn't have a present for her. Even Lord Rei had her present ready, but Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to give her. He had been busy thinking about what he had told Inuyasha.

When he had said that his feelings for Kagome were growing and that he cared for her and wanted to protect her, Sesshomaru hadn't been saying it to Inuyasha so much as he had been admitting it to himself. After that, Sesshomaru had spent his time thinking about it. He was sure that he felt even stronger for Kagome now. He had observed her closely over the past few days. It seemed to him that she was the most perfect woman he had ever met. _I will tell her about my feelings soon, but how will I say it? _Sesshomaru was nervous about it, and he still wasn't sure about how he felt exactly.

"What are we working on today? You said we were going to work on a new power." Kagome's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Close your eyes." Kagome looked at him with suspicion before closing her eyes. Sesshomaru stepped up to her. "Open." Kagome opened her eyes. Sesshomaru was holding a sword in front of her. The sword had a blue hilt with blue and gold wrapped around the handle.

"A sword? I thought you said we were going to work on a new power."

"We will start working on your swordsmanship skills, and then we will move on to focusing your power and strength through the sword to use various attacks." Sesshomaru looked up as the memories came back to him.

-Flashback-

"Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru turned to see his father walk down the hall towards him. He stopped and waited. His father came up to him and smiled.

"Give me one of your fangs." Sesshomaru glared at him.

"What do you need a fang of mine for?" Inu Taishou waved his hand to the side.

"You'll see, just let me have one." Sesshomaru paused before pulling out one of his fangs and giving it to his father. Inu Taishou smiled again and walked away.

oOo

"Here." Inu Taishou showed Sesshomaru a sword. Sesshomaru eyed it.

"What do I need this for?" Inu Taishou chuckled.

"You don't need it now, but you will. I asked Totosai to forge this sword for your future mate. She will need to be strong, and this sword will help protect her. It's made from your fang only, and only you and your future mate will be able to use it." Sesshomaru scoffed.

"I do not plan on mating until I am in need of an heir, and I will not waste my time giving her a sword." Inu Taishou pushed the sword at him.

"I urge you to take it, son. Please." Sesshomaru started to walk away.

"Keep it." Inu Taishou sighed.

"You will see, my son. You will need this one day."

-End Flashback-

Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome. "My father took one of my fangs and had Totosai forge this for my future mate. I assumed I wouldn't need it, and my father kept it for me. That was the fourth sword you saw my father carrying on his statue when you first came here. Just before his battle with the dragon youkai and Inuyasha's birth, he gave it to me and told me to keep it safe. I see now that he was more prepared than I was. I kept this at the castle, and when we started training, I decided to give it to you." Kagome smiled.

"Thank you. It's a beautiful sword." Kagome took the sword and inspected it.

"I will let you name it, but I was hoping to call the sword 'Junsei' meaning 'pure' or 'perfect.'" Kagome eyes went wide.

"Sesshomaru . . . that's so sweet. I'll call it Junsei." Kagome smiled and almost hugged Sesshomaru, but she stopped herself and shook her head. _What am I doing?! __**Why didn't you hug him? **__That would have made me look stupid! I can't just do stuff like that on impulse! __**Why not? He's already hugged you before. **__Forget that!_ Kagome suddenly felt arms wrap around her. She looked up at Sesshomaru.

"I'm happy that you like the name. I think it describes you well." Kagome pulled away.

"I'm sorry, hugging just feels a little strange. It makes me kind of nervous." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Yes, forgive me for doing so without asking." Kagome blushed. Her heart was pounding. _I can't believe he hugged me again! _She shook her head and tried to focus.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. Anyway, we should get started on the training." Sesshomaru nodded and pulled out Tokijin.

"First we must practice the basic battle stances." Kagome smiled and nodded.

oOo

Kagome eyed the kids. They had been snickering and giggling throughout breakfast.

"Shippo, are you okay?" Shippo smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Mama, I'm fine. Don't worry." Kagome shrugged and continued eating. _Everyone's been acting a little strange lately. Are they up to something? Maybe they're planning something for my birthday, but . . . they haven't told me anything about it. _

"Sesshomaru, when do you think we'll be celebrating my birthday?" Sesshomaru looked at her.

"Sometime tomorrow." Kagome nodded. Sesshomaru had seemed a little tense since this morning during training. _Maybe he's upset because I pulled away from the hug? It's hard to tell, and I don't want to ask him in front of everyone else. _

"Lord Sesshomaru, may I speak with you alone?" Sesshomaru looked at Lord Rei and nodded. They stood and left the room. Kagome watched them leave and sighed.

"Mama, is something wrong?" Kagome smiled at Shippo.

"No, not at all." Shippo looked at her for a minute before continuing with his breakfast.

oOo

Sesshomaru and Lord Rei sat at the desk in Sesshomaru's study.

"What do you need to talk about?" Lord Rei cleared his throat.

"You still haven't told me what happened on your date, and Kagome appears to get nervous when I ask her."

"Why should I tell you? You spied on us and found out about the date." Lord Rei chuckled.

"Yes, and Kagome mentioned something about 'her time.' What did she mean by that?" Sesshomaru glared at him.

"Nothing. It's none of your business. Our date was fine."

"I want you to give me details." Sesshomaru growled.

"We went to a private area and talked to each other, nothing more. My younger brother interrupted us and asked to stay with Kagome when we begin traveling again and she allowed him to, but he is not staying at the castle. I suspect that he will show up for her birthday."

"Did anything happen?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Nothing 'happened.' Now tell me, what was the errand you left for a few days ago?" Lord Rei paused.

"I was out getting Kagome a present." Sesshomaru glared at him.

"What did you get?" Lord Rei smiled.

"It's a surprise. What have you gotten for her?" Sesshomaru looked away.

"I haven't found a present for her yet."

"You could always give her the kimono." Sesshomaru eyed him suspiciously.

"What kimono?"

"You know the one I mean." Sesshomaru thought about it and suddenly realized what Lord Rei meant.

oOo

Kagome yawned and sat up. She looked around the room. Sunlight was pouring into the room through the windows. _Wait . . . it shouldn't be light out yet. Sesshomaru and I train before the sun comes up. _Kagome's eyes went wide as she realized that she was late for training. She scrambled out of bed and rushed to put on her battle outfit. She was about to open the door when she noticed a note lodged between it. She took the note out and opened it.

_Happy Birthday! You don't have to train today. You can sleep in as long as you want. We already asked Sesshomaru about it. -Shippo, Rin, and Hatori_

Kagome smiled and set the note on the table. _That was sweet of them. _She went to the balcony in her room and looked down. The kids were playing in the garden, and Inuyasha was sitting nearby. Kagome cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Thank you!" They all looked up and saw Kagome waving at them. The kids waved back. Inuyasha looked away. He was still nervous about being around her, even though Kagome had told him yesterday that she had forgiven him. Kagome stepped off her balcony and changed into a white kimono. She grabbed a formal kimono out of the closet and headed down to the hot spring to take a bath.

oOo

Kagome shook the excess water out of her hair and put on her kimono. It was dark red with daffodils on it. Kagome looked at herself in the mirror next to the hot spring to make sure she looked good. She pulled her hair back behind her ears and left.

Kagome walked down the halls and sniffed the air. Sesshomaru was nearby. Kagome followed his scent until she came to his study. Kagome knocked on the door.

"Enter." Kagome opened the door and came in.

"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru was working at his desk. He looked up.

"Hello, Kagome. Is there anything you need?" Kagome sat across from him and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry for pulling away during training yesterday. I didn't mean to insult you." Sesshomaru paused.

"Why are you apologizing? You are not at fault. It was my fault for doing so without asking, and I should be the one apologizing. Happy birthday, by the way." Kagome lifted her head and smiled.

"Thank you. Can I ask you something? I've been thinking about asking you this for a while." Sesshomaru nodded. "How do youkai age? I mean, how is different from humans? I know youkai live longer, but how does their age compare with humans? It's kind of hard to word it." Sesshomaru thought about it.

"With Inu Youkai, they age at the same rate as humans until they reach the ages of nineteen or twenty. After that, their bodies stop aging, and they can manage to live forever if they don't fall ill and they aren't severly injured. In this time, war and famine happen often, and Inu Youkai, along with other types of youkai, are scarce. Only those who are extremely powerful or find jobs working for the powerful survive, and the weaker ones die." Kagome couldn't help feeling sorry for the people who died early.

"In my time, we have advanced medicine that allows humans to live a long time, but there aren't any youkai at all. Sometimes I wonder what happened to them all." Kagome stood and headed for the door. She turned and smiled at Sesshomaru.

"Thank you for answering my question. I'll see you later." Kagome opened the door.

"Wait." Kagome looked back at him. Sesshomaru stood and closed the door. "Kagome, may I embrace you?" Kagome blushed.

"Y-You want t-to hug me?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Why?" Sesshomaru paused.

"I'm not sure." Kagome stared at him for a minute. Her heart was beating fast. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around him. Sesshomaru almost jumped from surprise. He slowly placed his arms around her and rested his head on hers.

"Sesshomaru, this feels . . . nice. Before last week, it had been so long since anyone had hugged me. I didn't realize how much I missed it." Sesshomaru gently squeezed her.

"Thank you for allowing me to." Kagome loosened her grip and Sesshomaru let go of her. Kagome blushed and opened the door.

"I'll s-see you l-later." Kagome left and closed the door. She clutched her chest and took deep breaths. _He hugged me again! It felt great, but I was so nervous! _Kagome stood there for a minute before she started going down the hall to the garden. As she walked, she tried to gather her thoughts. _Sesshomaru has been so nice to me lately. The day after the date, he put a bouquet of flowers in my room, and the day after that, he spent the day in the garden with me. He's tried to talk to me more, and now he's hugged me four times! I can't believe it! __**Believe it! Sesshomaru likes you a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if he said he loves you. **__Shut up! He would never say that! At least, I don't think he would. _

Kagome looked up at the ceiling. She started to think about how she felt about him. _He's been nicer than I ever imagined. This is such a wonderful side of him. And I haven't given him anything in return. He's tried so hard to be nice to me, even though he's been mean to people his whole life. It must be hard to change your entire character in such a short time. But . . . how do I feel about him? I know I like him, but is it more than that?_ Kagome shook her head. _I'm so confused! _

Kagome entered the garden and sat by a sakura tree. The kids saw her and ran up to her.

"Mama! Can you come with us?" Kagome looked at Shippo.

"Come where?" Shippo smiled.

"Rin and Hatori were hoping you could take us to the library and read stories to us like you did with me when I was younger." Kagome sighed.

"All right, let me get up." Kagome stood and brushed the dirt off her kimono. They went back inside and Rin led them to the library. Kagome's eyes went wide. She had never seen so many books in one place. The library was huge.

"Mama used to read me books that she said were for little kids when I was young. Mama, can you read us a book for bigger kids?" Kagome nodded.

"Let me look for one you might like." Kagome looked through the shelves. There were many books of different varieties. After looking for a few minutes, Kagome found that they were in alphabetical order.

She continued browsing until she saw a book that was written about the adventures of a traveling Neko Youkai. She smiled and took the book of the shelf. It was thick, but it looked like something the kids would like. Kagome browsed through it to make sure it wasn't boring. When she was satisfied, she took the book and led the kids to a table. They all sat down and Kagome started reading.

After an hour had passed, Kagome said that they should put it away, but the kids insisted she keep going. Kagome complied and they kept going for two more hours until Kagome sighed.

"Kids, I'm starting to get tired. Can we stop?" Shippo looked around.

"Okay Mama, but I have to go check something. Can you stay here?" Kagome nodded and Shippo ran out of the room. Kagome looked at Rin and Hatori.

"What does he need to check?" They both shrugged.

Shippo came back a few minutes later with a huge smile on his face.

"Mama, come with us! We have to show you something!" Rin and Hatori exchanged glances and snickered. Kagome eyed them suspiciously.

"Okay, I'll come. Where are we going?" Shippo took her hand.

"Tha garden. We need to show you something, but you have to close your eyes." Kagome raised her eyebrow.

"What if I hit something?" Rin giggled.

"Don't worry, Kagome, we'll make sure you don't." Kagome gave Rin a curious look.

"All right, I'll close my eyes." Kagome closed her eyes and cautiously let the kids guide her. They continued down the halls and out into the garden. Kagome could hear them snickering and giggling.

"Just a bit further, Mama." The kids led her to the center of the garden and forced her to sit down on the edge of the fountain. "Okay, open your eyes." Kagome opened her eyes and gasped.

The garden was beautiful. Paper lanterns were hung all around the trees, and ribbons were tied on the branches. Many nobles and servants were gathered around. There was a large table with food set up, and there was a small group of servants with instruments playing soft music. Kagome stood and looked around. Because it was fall, the sun was starting to set early, and although it wasn't sunset yet, the garden was illuminated with red and pink light. Kagome smiled as her eyes started to water. Tears of happiness started to fall.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome turned and hugged Rin and Shippo, and then hugged Hatori. She smiled at all of the servants and nobles. "Thank you, this is so nice. I knew we were celebrating my birthday, but I didn't think that so many people would be here, or that it would be this beautiful. Thank you!" Kagome wiped her face off with her sleeve.

The crowd of people stepped aside as Sesshomaru walked up to Kagome.

"Happy birthday." Kagome smiled.

"Did you set this up?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Lord Sesshomaru told Shippo to leave a note to tell you not to get up for training, and that we should keep you out of the garden so we could set this up." Kagome smiled at Rin.

"Happy birthday, Kagome." Kagome turned to see Inuyasha walk up to her. He gave her a soft smile and held something out. Kagome looked at his hand and saw a package wrapped in white cloth. She smiled and took it from him.

"Thank you." Kagome slowly opened it and smiled as she looked at the gift. It was a small pearl necklace.

"It belonged to my mother. I'm not going to wear it, so you might as well have it." Kagome smiled.

"This is very thoughtful, Inuyasha." Kagome put the necklace on. She felt a tug at her sleeve and turned to look at Shippo and Rin. They smiled and gave her a piece of paper that was folded in half. Kagome unfolded it and her eyes went wide.

"Oh, this is beautiful. Thank you so much." It was a picture of her with Sesshomaru standing next to each other, Kagome holding the Flower of Fate with her left hand, and Sesshomaru's right hand on top of her left. Rin, Shippo, and Hatori were standing in front of them.

"Shippo and I drew it together. I drew it and Shippo colored it with his crayons." Kagome kept staring at the picture.

"I had no idea you had such artistic talent." Shippo and Rin laughed.

"I have something for you as well, Lady Kagome." Kagome looked at Hatori. He held out his hand. He was holding a ring with a turquoise stone on it. Kagome smiled and took the ring.

"Thank you, Hatori." Hatori smiled.

"I found it while I was looking for my mom at the village. I think it belonged to my aunt." Kagome hugged Hatori.

"I'm sure it was hard for you to deal with your village being destroyed. Thank you for this ring." Kagome stood and put it on. She looked around the garden again. "How about we start the celebration?" The kids smiled. Inuyasha nodded.

"Mama, what do you want to do first?" Kagome thought about it.

"How about we play 'Musical Chairs'?" Everyone gave her a curious look. No one knew what that game was. Kagome laughed and explained.

oOo

"Yay!" Rin danced around. She had just won 'Bobbing for Apples.' Kagome laughed. They had spent fifteen minutes playing Musical Chairs. Some of the nobles refused to play because they thought it was silly, including Sesshomaru. Only Kagome, the kids, Inuyasha, and a few nobles had played, and Shippo had won. Due to their small stature, the kids were actually better than anyone at the game. After that, they had played Bobbing for Apples, and Rin had won both games.

"Let's play another game, Mama." Kagome smiled at Shippo.

"I have a better idea. How about we dance?" Everyone glanced around. "It would be fun."

"Great idea!" Kagome laughed at Rin. It didn't take long for Shippo and Hatori to agree, and soon everyone was for it. The servants started to play a slow dance song, and some of the nobles paired up and began dancing with each other. Some of them hung back and ate some food. Kagome watched and had to keep herself from laughing as Shippo blushed and asked Rin to dance with him.

Kagome sat on the edge of the fountain. Sesshomaru sat next to her.

"Are you enjoying your party so far?" Kagome nodded and turned to look at him.

"It was very nice of you to plan this for me. Thank you." Sesshomaru nodded and looked at the people dancing.

"Kagome . . . would you care to dance?" Kagome froze. _Dance?_

"Uh, okay, that sounds fine." They stood and Sesshomaru led Kagome to the area where the others were dancing. He faced her and took her left hand in his and placed his right hand on her hip. Kagome put her left hand on his shoulder. Sesshomaru started them off, and Kagome slowly followed.

"You need to relax." Kagome felt more tense than she had ever felt before.

"O-Okay." She tried to relax as Sesshomaru danced with her. Soon the other couples stopped to watch them. Kagome blushed. _I wish they didn't pay so much attention. _The sun was setting, and the area was bathed in red, gold, and pink. Some of the servants started lighting the lanterns.

Kagome began to relax, and Sesshomaru pulled her closer. Kagome took deep breaths. Her heart was racing.

"Kagome, I have to tell you something. My feelings for you have been increasing rapidly letely. I feel closer to you than I have before. You're an honest, kind girl. I care for you, and wish to protect you. I realize now that I want you to stay with me for a long time." Kagome looked up at him.

"Sesshomaru . . ." Sesshomaru leaned in close to her face.

"Kagome, I love you." Sesshomaru stopped dancing and pressed his lips against hers.

Kagome eyes went wide. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Kagome slowly closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. Sesshomaru pulled away and wrapped his arms around her. "What is your answer?" Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru smelled salt and saw that Kagome was crying. He pulled away to look at her.

"Kagome, are you all right? Did I upset you?" Kagome jumped into his arms.

"Sesshomaru . . . I feel so confused . . . I thought you were being nicer to me lately, and now I know why, but . . . are you sure you love me?" Sesshomaru rested his head against hers.

"Yes, I'm sure. I have been thinking about it for a while now. You're the only person I've ever met who has been able to make me feel this way. All of my anger or sadness disappears when I'm with you. What is your answer?" Kagome tried to wipe away her tears.

"Sesshomaru . . . I'm afraid . . . afraid of being hurt again, but . . . I think I love you too." Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her.

"I apologize if I upset you." Kagome looked up at him and smiled.

"No, don't apologize. You don't need to. I'm happy, because . . . I finally have someone I can truly love."

Everyone watched Sesshomaru and Kagome as they confessed their feelings to each other. Inuyasha left as soon as he could. Shippo, Rin and Hatori all smiled at each other.

Kagome pulled away from Sesshomaru and tried to collect herself. She looked around at the people staring at her and blushed. "I'm sorry, I've probably ruined this whole thing for everyone. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Mama, the whole point of this thing was to get Sesshomaru to admit he loves you." Kagome gave Shippo a surprised look.

"What?" The kids laughed.

"Sesshomaru was the one who planned it, but we all knew what he wanted to do, so we tried to make this place as romantic looking as we could."

"How did you know?" Rin giggled.

"One of the servants overheard him talking to himself in his study while she was putting laundry away." Sesshomaru growled. Kagome smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru. I was thinking about how I felt too, and I wanted to tell you soon, but I wasn't sure when I should."

"I'm glad that you return my feelings, Kagome. I was nervous that you would say that you didn't." Kagome giggled.

"You were nervous?" Sesshomaru growled again. "Also, thank you for the kiss. It was the best birthday present I've ever been given." Kagome blushed as she said this. _I can't believe it, Sesshomaru loves me! __**What did I tell you? I knew this was coming! **__Be quiet. I just hope things don't get awkward again. That's what happened when he told me he liked me. Actually, it hasn't been long since he said he liked me, and already he told me he loves me! I wonder if this is going too fast. __**No way! Why don't you just take what you get instead of questioning it? **_

"I have another present." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. He came over and handed her a package that was wrapped the same way Inuyasha's had been. Kagome opened it and smiled. She pulled out a kimono. It was white with the same red marks that Sesshomaru had on his outfit, only blue, and on the front of it on the left side was a crescent moon that matched Sesshomaru's.

"Thank you. This is beautiful."

"It is traditional for a youkai to give his mate a kimono with the family crest on it in the color that matches their personality. Blue is the color that represents maternity." Kagome held the kimono up to herself. It seemed to be the right size. She hugged Sesshomaru.

"Thank you so much . . . for everything."

-End-

Hey! Sorry it's been a while! I hope you liked this chapter! Sesshomaru and Kagome finally admitted their love for each other!

Also, I tried to make this chapter extra long, because . . . I have over 600 reviews! Yay! Hooray! Thank you all so much! I couldn't do this without my loyal readers! Thank you! This is awesome!

And, on an unrelated note, I finally have a boyfriend! I'm telling as many people as possible! (Although I realize you probably don't care). Don't forget to review! Please please review! Review review review review! I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll try and update A.S.A.P.! (Curse this stupid computer that keeps breaking and stopping me from updating!) Bye bye!


	31. Embarrassment

Kagome put away the gifts she had been given. She smiled at the blue hair clip Lord Rei has given her. She sighed and sat on her bed. She blushed and put her fingers on her lips. _Sesshomaru gave me my first kiss! He loves me! I still can't believe it! _She smiled and looked out the window. It was getting dark.

The door opened and Sesshomaru came in. Kagome looked up at him and smiled.

"Kagome, did you enjoy your birthday?" Kagome stood and hugged him.

"It was the best birthday ever. I'm so happy that I finally have someone who loves me. You do love me, don't you?" Sesshomaru took her chin between his finders.

"Of course." Sesshomaru bent down and kissed her. Kagome closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru broke away and did something Kagome wouldn't have expected to see him do in her entire life. Sesshomaru smiled.

Kagome's eyes went wide. It was an honest, happy smile.

"Sesshomaru . . . are you actually smiling?" Sesshomaru put his forehead against hers.

"I haven't smiled like this in a long time. It feels good to be able to smile again." Kagome tightened her grip on him.

"I should go to bed now. We have training in the morning." Sesshomaru let go and kissed her again. Kagome smiled. "You enjoy kissing, don't you?" Sesshomaru smirked.

"When it's with you, I never want to stop." Kagome blushed. _He's being so romantic! He's almost a completely different person! _

"Oh, one more thing. Since the third step of the mating ritual is to prove that you love me . . . would this mean that we should move onto the fourth step?" Sesshomaru thought about it.

"I suppose, but I will tell you about tomorrow after training." Kagome nodded and waved as Sesshomaru left. She pulled back her blanket and got into bed. She sighed and closed her eyes.

oOo

Naraku laughed as he tightened his grip on Kagome's throat. She struggled to escape from his grip, but to no avail. He held her suspended in the air.

"It's no use, Kagome. Your friends are dead, and I am about to kill the one you love." Kagome watched as one of his tentacles came out and went for an unconscious Sesshomaru lying on the ground. He held his tentacle just about his chest.

"No! Don't!" His tentacle plunged into Sesshomaru's chest and tore through his flesh. Sesshomaru cringed slightly, and then grew still. "SESSHOMARU!"

oOo

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome shot up and looked around. She panted and she realized that she was in her room, in Sesshomaru's castle. She felt her forehead and realized she had started sweating in her sleep again. _That's what I did last time I had a nightmare. _The door burst open and Sesshomaru ran in. He knelt next to Kagome.

"Are you all right? What happened?" Kagome took deep breaths and tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry, I just had a nightmare." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, and the image of his still form flashed through her mind. She cringed and looked away. She mouthed a few words, and Sesshomaru couldn't tell what she had said.

"What was that?" Kagome gave him a sad smile.

"I'm fine. Nothing happened, only a nightmare." Sesshomaru growled.

"A male's job is to protect his mate, whether from an enemy or a nightmare. Tell me what it was about." Kagome shivered as she remembered it. She reached out and lightly touched Sesshomaru's bare chest. She saw the image of Naraku plunging his tentacle into him.

"No!" Kagome jumped into Sesshomaru's arms. He was somewhat surprised, but he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. Kagome wiped her face and tried to keep the tears from coming. "I'm sorry, I can't believe I'm crying over a nightmare. I didn't mean to do that." Kagome tried to pull away, but Sesshomaru held firm.

"Tell me about it." Kagome paused. She put her hand against his chest to push back when she realized how warm it was. She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Naraku was choking me, and he said that everyone was dead, and you were unconscious, and I had to watch helplessly as he killed you." Kagome voice grew quiet as she said said the last words. "I'm sorry, we've only just told each other about our feelings and I'm getting emotional over a dream about you. It's silly, you should just go back to bed."

Sesshomaru listened to her story and how her voice quivered as she said the last part. He tightened his grip on her.

"I refuse to leave you after a dream that scared you this much. If you wish to go back to sleep, then I shall go to sleep with you." Kagome gave him a surprised look.

"You want to to sleep . . . with me?" Sesshomaru nodded. Kagome blushed.

"Is there any chance of you going back to your room? I'm fine, really."

"No. I can still smell the fear in your scent. I'm staying here." Kagome's blush deepened.

"O-Okay, but you're going to have to let me go first." Sesshomaru released her. Kagome pulled back the blanket and got into bed. Sesshomaru followed and made sure the blanket was covering them. Kagome shifted as far away as possible and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru pulled her back to him and wrapped his arms around her, securing her in a muscular prison.

Kagome attempted to break free, but Sesshomaru only tightened his grip. "Sesshomaru, this feels weird. Please, can you go back to your room?"

"Kagome, I'm worried about you. I do not want to leave you alone like this." Kagome sighed and closed her eyes.

"I suppose I'm stuck with you then."

oOo

Kagome panted and sheathed Junsei.

"Good work, Kagome. You've picked up the stances well, and you're good at blocking my attacks." Kagome smiled.

"Thank you." Kagome sat and leaned against the wall. Sesshomaru sat next to her and they rested. Kagome couldn't help remembering this morning.

-Flashback-

"Kagome, it's time to wake up." Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at Sesshomaru. She blushed when she realized that she was curled up to him. "It's time for training." Kagome pulled away from him and sat up.

"W-Was it really necessary to do this?" Sesshomaru ignored her and stood.

"I'll see you in the dojo." Sesshomaru opened the door and left. Kagome's face burned red. She and Sesshomaru had been so close. He had actually slept in the same bed with her! _**Score! **__This isn't funny! It felt so . . . nice, I guess, but . . . just thinking about it makes me feel embarrassed_.

-End Flashback-

Kagome sighed. _Why do I feel like this around him? We've already said that we love each other! I didn't act like this before! _Kagome turned to look at Sesshomaru. _Maybe if I get used to it, I wouldn't act like this. _

"Sesshomaru, could we . . . kiss again?" Sesshomaru looked at her and nodded.

"Of course." He leaned in and placed his lips on hers. Kagome jumped, but relaxed and eased into the kiss. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. He broke the kiss and looked into Kagome's eyes. "I should tell you about the fourth step." Kagome shook her head and came to her senses.

"Oh, yes, I completely forgot. What is it?" Sesshomaru paused.

"The fourth step is when the male and female . . . indulge in each other." Kagome gave him a curious look.

"Indulge . . .?" Her eyes went wide she realized what he meant. "Wait, I thought there were six steps."

"There are six steps, but in the fourth step, the male and female find out each other's . . . preferences." Kagome blushed.

"I didn't expect that. I'm not really experienced with that kind of thing." Kagome couldn't have felt more embarrassed. Sesshomaru chuckled. Kagome looked at him, surprised. "Did you just laugh?"

"Don't worry, Kagome. You will not require experience." Kagome blushed and looked away.

"Sesshomaru, I've been meaning to ask you something for a while." Kagome looked back at him. "When do you think we'll be able to start hunting Naraku again?" Sesshomaru was caught off guard by her question.

It had been a while since he had thought about Naraku. He hadn't forgotten about him, but he had been distracted by his feelings for Kagome.

"It's been a while since I have thought about him. We can leave in a few days if you wish." Kagome smiled.

"Thank you. I don't mean to make you leave, but I think we've been staying here long enough, and I'm worried about Sango and Miroku hunting him by themselves." Sesshomaru nodded.

"But if we travel, then we will have to put off the mating ritual for a while. Is that all right?" Kagome sighed.

"Yes, that's fine. I don't think that I'm ready for the fourth step just yet." Sesshomaru moved Kagome from his lap and stood.

"Training is over for today. I'll see you at breakfast." Sesshomaru left. Kagome stood and sighed. _I hope I didn't make him mad. _Kagome left the dojo and went to the hot spring for a bath. Koneko was there with a fresh kimono.

"Oh, Koneko, I didn't expect to see you here." Koneko smiled.

"I knew training was over, so I brought a clean kimono for you." Kagome smiled.

"Thank you, that's very kind, but I was actually hoping to wear the kimono that Sesshomaru gave me." Koneko nodded and left. She came back a few minutes later with the kimono. "You didn't have to get it for me."

"It is my pleasure. I apologize for not being able to serve you lately. I have many other jobs that I need to tend to. Shall I help you bathe?" Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." Kagome undressed and entered the hot spring. Koneko took a special liquid and started washing Kagome's hair.

"I have heard that you and Lord Sesshomaru have confessed love for each other." Kagome blushed.

"Yes, that's true, but I think I might have made him mad."

"Why is that?" Kagome sighed.

"He told me about the fourth step of the mating ritual, and I told him I wasn't ready for it." Koneko laughed.

"I'm sorry for laughing, but I doubt that Lord Sesshomaru is angry for that."

"Why do you say that?" Koneko poured water over Kagome to wash away the soap.

"For one, Sesshomaru gave you a special kimono with the family crest on it, which means that he loves you and wants you as a mate, and also because Sesshomaru respects the decisions of those he cares for. But I doubt that the fact you aren't ready will stop Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome gave Koneko a suspicious look.

"What does that mean?" Koneko giggled.

"Lord Sesshomaru has . . . been with women before, and whether or not they are ready has not stopped him before." Kagome furrowed her brow.

"He's 'been' with other women?" Koneko nodded.

"Mostly due to the influence of his inner youkai. Every few hundred years, he needs to sate his lust, or else he will go on a blood rampage. It is by no means a mating because he does not care for the women, and they have not completed a mating ritual." Kagome nodded.

"I understand, but if he hasn't been 'stopped' before, will he try to force me to do it?" Koneko shook her head.

"He would never force you because he loves you. But he does know how to change your mind." Kagome shivered. "Your bath is finished. I have work to do, but you may just call and I will come." Koneko waved and left the hot spring. Suddenly, Kagome didn't feel safe. _I swear to God, if he tries to pull anything, I'll blast him with miko energy. _

Kagome sat in the water for a few more minutes. When she was tired of bathing, she got out and wrapped herself in a towel to dry off. She shook the water out of her hair.

Kagome gasped as she felt two arms wrap around her.

"I was hoping that I could catch you while you were still bathing." Kagome turned her head to see Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru? Why are you here? Why didn't I smell your scent?" Sesshomaru smirked.

"The steam from the hot spring dulls a youkai's sense of smell." Kagome struggled against his grip. Sesshomaru turned her to face him. Kagome glared at him.

"Sesshomaru, I'm not in the mood. Koneko told me that you know how to 'convince' me to do what you want. Please, just let me go."

"Kagome, I would never force you to do anything you do not want to do." Sesshomaru leaned in so his face was centimeters from hers. Kagome blushed and pushed away. Sesshomaru held firm.

"I told you I'm not ready for this." Sesshomaru began stroking her hair.

"Are you sure?" Kagome placed her head against his chest.

"Yes, I'm sure, now let me go." Sesshomaru picked up Kagome, sat down, and placed her in his lap.

"Kagome, I can tell why you do not wish to do the fourth step of the mating ritual. I promise that I will not hurt you in any way." Kagome tried to push away again, but Sesshomaru only tightened his grip.

"I'm not afraid that you'll hurt me, it's just . . . I don't want to rush into this and ruin everything. It seems like it's happening so fast. Just yesterday morning I wasn't even sure if I loved you or not. I'm not saying that I don't love you, but I feel somewhat pressured. I've never been 'intimate' with anyone, and I'm nervous. Before you did, I had never even kissed anyone."

Sesshomaru patiently listened to Kagome. He sighed and placed Kagome on the floor.

"I will respect your wish. If you're nervous and pressured, then I will leave you alone." Sesshomaru stood and opened the door.

"Wait." Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome. "Let me think about it until tonight, and then maybe we can . . . start the fourth step." Sesshomaru nodded and left. Kagome sighed and placed her hand on her chest. Her heart was beating faster than ever. _It's not that I don't want to . . . it just makes me so nervous! __**We almost got some major action and you blew it! **__I was nervous . . . I mean, I've never done anything like that! __**Well, at least we can do it tonight. **__I might not even want to at all! But . . . Sesshomaru looked so disappointed. Is he really that interested in me? __**Of course he is! He loves you! **__I know, but I find it hard to believe. Inuyasha never even seemed to want to kiss. __**Forget that toad! It's bad enough he's at the castle! You shouldn't dwell on him! Just focus on Sesshomaru! **__I guess you're right. Even though we won't actually . . . mate, I wonder what it'll be like. _

Kagome took deep breaths to try and calm down. She stood and put on the kimono. After she calmed down, she left to go to breakfast.

-End-

Hey! For once, it hasn't been that long since my last update! I hope you liked the chapter! It looks like Sesshomaru is softening up. He actually smiled! In the anime, he smiles a few times, but it's always an evil, scheming smile. But not this time!

Okay, it's time to have another vote! I want you guys to make the decision! You get to decide whether or not Sesshomaru and Kagome start the fourth step of the mating ritual. For those of you who want them to start it, say so in a review! For those of you who want them to wait longer, say so in a review! The choice with the most votes is what I'll write about in the next chapter! So, remember, if you want your choice in the story, you'll have to review and say so! Please review! Review review review review! Vote for your choice! Okay, I have to go! I'll try and update as soon as I can! Although, my computer is still slightly broken, so I'm not sure when that will be. Forgive me if I don't update for a while! Well, bye bye!

(And don't forget to vote!)


	32. Pleasure

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. He had been silent throughout breakfast. Kagome set down her chopsticks and sighed.

"Sesshomaru, after breakfast, can we talk in the garden?" Sesshomaru looked at her and nodded.

They sat there for a few minutes until almost everyone was done eating. Kagome stood and left with Sesshomaru. She could feel the tension as they went out to the garden and sat by a small pond. Kagome adjusted herself until she was comfortable, and turned to Sesshomaru. "I need to talk." Sesshomaru turned to look at her.

"Is something wrong?" Kagome shook her head.

"Not really. It's mostly about the fourth step. I was thinking about it during breakfast. I respect you, and I realize that you want to finish this mating ritual as soon as possible, but I'm not sure if I'm ready. I know that's what I keep saying, but I don't know how to word it any other way. I want to finish the mating ritual too, but I think it would be best if we waited a day or so before we do anything." Sesshomaru nodded as she was saying this.

"I understand. Perhaps it would be better if we went after Naraku and stopped the mating ritual entirely until he is defeated." Kagome looked away.

"I don't want to make you wait if you don't want to." Sesshomaru cupped his hand on her cheek and forced her to look at him.

"If it's what you want, it's all right. The purpose of the mating ritual is to make the female as happy as possible." Kagome pulled his hand away and gave him a sympathetic look.

"That's not fair. You deserve to be happy too." They stared at each other for a few minutes. Sesshomaru broke the tension as he leaned down and kissed Kagome. He leaned next to her ear.

"I am happy if you are happy." Kagome shivered and pulled away. The way Sesshomaru had said that made her cringe, but not in a bad way. Something caught Kagome's eye, and she decided to ask Sesshomaru a favor.

"Sesshomaru, can I pet your fluff?" Sesshomaru paused. Only Rin had ever asked that, and he had said no. It was a childish question, but Kagome sounded serious.

"May I ask why?" Kagome smiled.

"Ever since I was little, I've liked fluffy things. Can I pet it?" Sesshomaru paused for a moment before nodding. Kagome reached out and gently pet the furry object that always donned his shoulder. It felt like silk. "What is this, exactly?"

"Although I have no use to call it by a name, my father referred to mine and his own as 'Mokomoko' and it is a part of my body. Most pure-blood Inu youkai males have one, usually on their shoulders or back." Kagome ran her hands through it.

"Does that mean that if you had a son, he would have one too?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"He would gain it probably around the age of five or six. Mine came in when I was three." Kagome looked at him and back at the fluff. She remembered seeing Sesshomaru try and strangle Inuyasha with it at his father's grave.

"I wish I had one. I would stroke it all day." Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled it away.

"It is sometimes annoying to have it, because stroking it for too long causes my senses to go off." Kagome shrunk back after hearing that.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

"It's fine. I don't mind it as much when you stroke it."

"Mama! Mama! Look!" They turned to see Shippo running at them with Rin and Hatori at his heels. The kids stopped and panted. Rin was holding a book. Sesshomaru eyed the book and recognized it.

"Rin, why do you have my father's journal?" Rin grinned.

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru, but we found something in it. We know why Kagome is a youkai!" Kagome's eyes went wide.

"You do?" Rin nodded. Sesshomaru mentally kicked himself. He had been reading his father's journal when Kagome had interrupted him when they had first started training, and he had been about to find out what happened to a miko when she had it. Sesshomaru had forgotten about it, and Rin had managed to take the journal.

"We found it in the journal. Lord Sesshomaru's father had a human mate with a Flower of Fate, and he wrote everything about the flower in his journal. It says that if a miko finds the flower, she turns into a youkai, but he didn't know why."

"The flower caused me to turn into a youkai?" Kagome looked at the claws on her hands. She was used to being a youkai, but she had wanted to know why she changed. "Why would I turn into a youkai because of the flower?" Rin shrugged.

"I have some books on the Flower of Fate in my library. Do you want to look at them and see if you can find anything?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru and smiled.

"Yes, thank you. Do you want to come?" Sesshomaru nodded and stood. Soon the five of them were headed to the library.

oOo

Kagome groaned and closed the book she was reading. They had spent an hour searching, and so far they had turned up with nothing. She looked at Sesshomaru, who was browsing through the books on the shelves. _The Flower of Fate caused me to change into a youkai, but we don't know why. I wonder if Sesshomaru would still love me if I was human. __**Of course he would! **__He's told me before that the fact that I was human doesn't matter, but I can't help feeling like being a youkai has helped him like me. _

"Darn!" Shippo put the book back on the shelf. Hatori couldn't read, but Rin and Shippo were looking through the books. Hatori was sitting at a desk, watching them.

"I apologize for not being able to help." Kagome smiled at him.

"It's okay. We know you would help if you could." Kagome went up to the shelves and started looking for another book. "Let's see . . . this one might help." Kagome pulled out a book entitled 'The World of Flowers.' She opened it and looked through the contents.

"Shippo, did you find anything?" Shippo looked at Rin and shook his head. "Lord Sesshomaru, what about you?" Sesshomaru ignored her. He was caught up in the book he had.

'_Lord Inu Taishou was a great and powerful Inu youkai, whose death came all too soon. He had a youkai and a human mate, and the human mate possessed a Flower of Fate.' _Sesshomaru growled and put the book back. It was a biography of his father, but it didn't say much about the Flower of Fate.

"I found something!" Everyone turned to Kagome. She was holding a book that was titled 'The Powers of a Miko.'

"Mama, what did you find?" Kagome went over the page again.

"It says that the Flower of Fate, when found by a miko, causes her to transform into a youkai because it's impossible for a miko to mate a youkai as a human." Everyone crowded around her and tried to look at the book, except for Hatori, who hung back at the desk where he was sitting. On the page was a picture of a woman dressed in miko clothes with a small flower in her hand.

"You can't mate Lord Sesshomaru unless you're a youkai?" Kagome looked at Rin and nodded.

"Normally, the characteristics of a human and a youkai clash, which is why they avoid each other, except on occasions when they mate and have a hanyou child. But the powers of a miko clash with a youkai too much, and they can't mate without one or both of them being killed, unless the miko has the power of a youkai merged with her miko power." Sesshomaru took the book and looked through it.

"She is correct. This book was written by one of the youkai that worked for my father. He was fascinated by humans, especially mikos. I wondered why he liked them so much, because at the time I loathed humans."

Hatori watched as they all crowded around Kagome. He stayed back and watched them talk to each other. _I'll have to reveal my true form soon, before it's too late. _Hatori noticed that Kagome was wearing the ring he gave her. He smiled and silently left the room.

Kagome read through the book, but there wasn't anything else on the Flower of Fate.

"I'm glad I found something. At least now I know why I'm a youkai. It was kind of bugging me." _And now I know that I can't mate Sesshomaru unless I'm a youkai, but I don't know how to change back anyway. _She looked at Sesshomaru, who was putting away the books he had taken out, and remembered what he had said. _'At the time I loathed humans.' Does that mean he doesn't hate humans anymore? __**What does it matter? You're not human, you're a youkai. **_Kagome stood and left. Rin and Shippo stood to follow, but noticed Hatori was missing.

They looked around the room for a few minutes, but they couldn't find him.

"Where's Hatori? Lord Sesshomaru, did you see where he went?" Sesshomaru finished putting away the books and looked at Rin.

"I was not paying attention to him." Rin and Shippo left in search of Hatori.

oOo

Kikyo watched as Sesshomaru took out the book about mikos and left with it.

"I see he is interested in mikos, or more specifically, Kagome. Things are progressing well, but I'm worried that Kagome will not perform the fourth step." Kikyo floated down the halls of the castle and came to a strange door. It was musty, as if it hadn't been used in a long time. Kikyo, curious, decided to see what was beyond it. She faded through the door and looked around.

Around her were pictures of a human female. There were tapestries and paintings, all of the same woman. She was beautiful, but the pictures were piled on top of each other as if someone had just thrown them in there. _I wonder . . . could these pictures be of Inuyasha's mother? _Kikyo looked around for aother minute before leaving. On her way to the door, she saw one picture that caught her interest. It was a painting left on the floor. It showed the woman holding a small, blue lily. Kikyo took a closer look and realized that it was a Flower of Fate.

After looking at the painting, Kikyo left the room and looked for Kagome. She found her in her room, brushing her hair. She appeared to be deep in thought.

Kagome set the brush down and looked at herself in the mirror. Kikyo decided to see what she was thinking. She phased into Kagome and read her thoughts. _I don't want to stop the mating ritual, because Sesshomaru doesn't seem to want to, but I can't do the fourth step. It's too soon. At least, I think it is. My friends have told me about that kind of stuff, but I always said that I wouldn't do that until I was married. Am I breaking my honor by even thinking about it? I need to rest. _Kikyo left Kagome's body and watched as she laid back on her bed. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

Kikyo smirked. This was her chance. She could help Kagome with her problem. Kikyo sat next to Kagome and phased into her again.

oOo

Kagome blinked and rubbed her eyes. She sat up and found herself in a meadow. There were flowers everywhere, but one of them caught her eye. Kagome stood and walked to a small spot where there was only one flower. It looked like her Flower of Fate. Kagome reached out to pick it, but another hand took it first. Kagome looked up to see Kikyo sitting across from her.

"Kikyo? What are you doing here? I thought Inuyasha had killed you." Kikyo smiled and gave Kagome the flower. Kagome took it and looked back at Kikyo.

"I was, but the fraction of your soul that was used to revive me became a ghost. I'm here to help you with the mating ritual." Kagome raised her eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't like me." Kikyo shook her head.

"Nonsense. I didn't like the fact that Inuyasha was still alive and had another lover. But now that's all behind me, and I apologize." Kagome looked at Kikyo another minute before smiling.

"Apology excepted. Now, what do you mean 'help me with the mating ritual?'" Kikyo took the ribbon out of her hair and let it flow free.

"You're nervous about the fourth step, aren't you?" Kagome paused.

"Yes, a little. It's not that I don't want to do it, but . . ." Kikyo nodded.

"I understand. You feel that you would be unhonorable to do something like that?" Kagome nodded and twisted the flower between her fingers.

"I don't want to offend Sesshomaru, but I don't want to do something I'm not ready for." Kikyo placed her hand on Kagome's lap. Kagome looked up at her, and Kikyo smiled.

"You must not worry. Sesshomaru loves you, and he respects your decisions." Kagome sighed.

"I'm also worried that we're rushing into this. When I was younger, I was in a relationship that went too fast, and he ended up hating me." Kikyo could tell Kagome had been hurt.

"What happened?" Kagome looked away.

"I was with this boy for a while, and then he said that he loved me. I was so scared because I didn't love him back, and I told him so, and then he said he hated me. We were twelve when it happened." Kikyo smiled.

"Don't worry, Kagome. Sesshomaru would never hate you. I've been watching him for a while, and I know how he feels about you. I will give you some advice. You may wait for the fourth step if you like, but Sesshomaru loves you, and I know you love him. You wouldn't be harming anyone by finishing the fourth step."

oOo

Kagome woke up and yawned. She looked around. She was in her room, but it was dark. Kagome stood and lit the candle in the candle holder. She looked at the window and realized it was night. _How long was I alseep? _Kagome went out on her balcony. The moon was high, which meant it was late. _I must have been tired to sleep for so long. __**Thinking about the mating ritual has made you nervous and tired. **__I wonder if Sesshomaru tried to wake me up. _

Kagome went back inside and closed the balcony doors. She sat at her desk and sighed. _That dream that I had . . . was that real? Is Kikyo really a ghost? _Kagome shook her head. _Of course not! What am I thinking? Still, what Kikyo said, it sounded so real, like she was actually giving me advice. Should I listen to her? _

There was a knock at the door. Kagome jumped. She sniffed the air and found it was Sesshomaru.

"Come in." Sesshomaru opened the door and entered. Kagome smiled and stood. "Why are you up so late?"

"I was worried. You wouldn't wake up when I came in a few hours ago, or when I tried to wake you up for lunch. Are you all right?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was tired, I guess. I've been stressed out thinking about the mating ritual." Kagome stepped up to Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her.

"I understand if you want to wait." Kagome buried her face in his fluff.

"I just woke up from a strange dream, and I think I know what my decision is. I want to wait a little longer, but I think we should finish the fourth step before going after Naraku again. If you're okay with it, I think it would be okay to start to fourth step tomorrow night, and then the day after that, we can go after Naraku." Sesshomaru tightened his grip.

"That sounds fine." Kagome pulled her head out of his fluff and looked up at him. Sesshomaru leaned down and kissed her. It was a long, passionate kiss, but they finally had to break for air. Kagome laid her head on his chest. He wasn't wearing his armor.

"Sesshomaru, could you stay with me again tonight?"

"Of course." Sesshomaru picked Kagome up and laid her down on the bed. Sesshomaru climbed in next to her and pulled the blanket over them. Kagome curled up close to him, and Sesshomaru wrapped her in his arms.

"Thank you."

oOo

Kagome felt her heartbeat quicken. She was about to do something that could change to whole situation. If she made a mistake, it was all over.

Kagome took a deep breath and pointed.

"Wrong!" Shippo opened his hand to reveal that the pebble was in the other hand. "Now you're it, Mama!" Kagome sighed and smiled. They were playing hide-and-go-seek, and Kagome was the seeker.

"All right, I'm going to count, and you have to hide. I'll count to thirty." The kids nodded and went off to hide in the garden. Kagome covered her eyes with her hands and began counting.

Sesshomaru watched the game from the branches of a sakura tree. _**Soon that wonderful girl will be ours! After the fourth step, it'll be a few simple tasks before we can mate her! **__Do not be vulgar. It will take much preparation before we can mate her. __**At least you know she'll make a good mother, and I can't wait to make her pregnant. **__Quiet! You are offending Kagome! _

Despite his inner youkai, Sesshomaru was looking forward to the fourth step. They wouldn't actually mate, but he would be able to see Kagome without any clothes, which he had come close to in the hot spring.

Sesshomaru tried to shake the thoughts out of his head. _It's true that Kagome is very tempting. I can't help but look forward to it. __**Ah hah! I knew it! **_Sesshomaru ignored his inner youkai.

It was true that Sesshomaru had been with many other females, but, for the most part, he didn't remember it. It had been when his inner youkai had taken over and chosen a female at random. Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome. She was searching a bush, trying to find the kids. Sesshomaru jumped down and masked his scent.

Masking their scent was an ability that usually was only possessed by strong youkai. It could be done two ways. One way was to use a barrier, in which case, anyone who could put up a strong barrier could hide their scent. The second way was by natural ability, which only extremely powerful youkai could do.

Sesshomaru silently crept up behind Kagome and snaked his arms around her waist. Kagome gasped as she was pulled back into him. She looked up at him.

"Sesshomaru? Why didn't I catch your scent?" Sesshomaru smirked.

"I am able to hide my scent from others. You had better learn another trick for sensing me if you want to stay out of trouble." His words sent shivers down Kagome's spine.

"Sesshomaru, I'm playing with the kids, so don't try and pull anything. I said tonight, and I meant tonight. It's still morning, so you'll have to wait." Sesshomaru growled and released her.

"I'm sure it will be worth the wait." Sesshomaru jumped back into the tree. Kagome blushed as he smiled at her from his perch. She turned away from him and went back to looking for the kids.

oOo

Kagome sighed and sat on her bed. Sesshomaru had been pulling stunts all day. It was already almost dinner and he had done it seven times. First it was the garden incident. Then he had surprised her in the library by kissing her cheek when she was reading a book. When she had found Inuyasha dozing in the garden and started to talk to him, Sesshomaru had showed up out of nowhere and picked her up bridal style and kissed her full on the lips for the longest time, which had infuriated Inuyasha and made him leave. When she had gone to Rin's room to check on the kids, she had found Sesshomaru in there instead, with his shirt off!

He had pulled several more stunts that Kagome didn't even want to think about. _Can't he just wait without doing this?! __**Maybe he's bored. After all, he's had to wait all day. He needs something to occupy himself. **__And he chooses to tease me?! _Kagome sighed. She wasn't angry so much as she was . . . excited.

Most of these stunts had ended in Sesshomaru kissing her passionately, which, for a reason unknown to Kagome, gave her an excited feeling. His kisses left her breathless, and she almost enjoyed the feeling she got when he snuck up and grabbed her from behind. It was a side of him that she wasn't used to, but growing to like more and more.

Kagome twirled her hair between her fingers. _I wonder what tonight will be like. _She opened her closet and started browsing through the kimonos out of boredom. As she dug through them, she saw something that caught her eye. She pulled out a kimono that was different from the others. The hem was cut short, and instead of a pattern, it was completely rose pink. The sash on the kimono was like Sesshomaru's, only it was dark purple where his was yellow. Kagome held it up and smiled evilly. _If Sesshomaru is going to tease me, then I'll tease him back. _

oOo

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome. Dinner was almost over, and they had both agreed to go back to his room for the fourth step. As Sesshomaru looked at her, Kagome smiled at him, but it was a teasing smile, like she had something planned. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow before turning back to his plate. Kagome had something planned, probably to get back at him for what he had done today.

After dinner was over, Kagome rushed the kids to bed. Some of Sesshomaru's guests had heard the news and knew what was coming. Even if they weren't mating, a few of the guests had been at the castle long enough to know that it might get noisy. They glanced at him and Kagome as they left the dining room.

Sesshomaru growled as some of the guests gave him looks. Kagome made sure the kids were on their way to bed and sighed. She looked at Sesshomaru, and her heart started to beat faster. _This is it! Get a grip! __**Let's get it on! **__Shut up! _Kagome walked up to Sesshomaru and smiled.

"I suppose it's time to start the fourth step. I know we agreed to go to your room, but I need to go to my room first. Do you mind waiting a little longer?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"No, go ahead." Kagome kissed him on the cheek and left. Sesshomaru sighed and went to his room. He had been teasing Kagome all day because he didn't want to waste his time while waiting until tonight. He knew that it aroused Kagome slightly, and he also knew that she wasn't familiar with arousal and was probably confused or angry because of it, and planning to get back at him.

He sat on the bed and removed his armor. He put it in his closet where it would be out of the way. He sat back on the bed, when he suddenly heard the door open. He heard it close and looked over to see something he wasn't expecting.

Kagome was dressed in a kimono that was worn by the female during a mating. It was cut extremely short, revealing most of her legs. The sash was like his, only with different colors, and Kagome had put her hair in a bun, probably just so he could take it out.

Kagome swallowed nervously as she stepped into the room. Sesshomaru was looking her up and down. _I hope I didn't do something wrong by putting this on. _Kagome sat next to him on the bed and smiled. Before she knew it, she was underneath him with Sesshomaru pinning her arms above her head, and his legs on either side of her. Sesshomaru leaned in close to her face.

"Sesshomaru, are you okay?" Sesshomaru smirked.

"That attire is something that is traditionally worn by the female during a mating." Kagome blushed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought you might like-" Sesshomaru captured her lips before she could say anything else. As he pulled away, he smirked again and removed her hair from the bun.

"It looks ravishing on you." His lips met hers again before she could answer. The only thing Sesshomaru wanted to hear from her was his name being screamed to the heavens. Just because they couldn't mate didn't mean he couldn't pleasure her until dawn.

Sesshomaru deepened the kiss and brushed her bottom lip with his tongue. Kagome knew what he wanted, but refused to let him have it. Sesshomaru growled and pulled away. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him.

"You've been teasing me all day. It's my turn now." With all the strength she could summon, and to Sesshomaru's immense surprise, Kagome flipped him over on his back so she was straddling him. _She is stronger than I thought. _Kagome loosened his sash and pulled his shirt open to reveal his muscles. She leaned down and kissed him while her hands explored his chest. Her lips left his and she started kissing his jaw, moving up his face until she came to his ear.

Kagome used her left hand to massage his ear and gently bit his earlobe. Sesshomaru growled, but instead of anger, it was a growl of pleasure. Kagome moved down and started kissing his neck. She continued to go down, kissing his chest and then his abdomen, but stopped at the edge of his pants and went up to kiss his lips again.

Sesshomaru was surprised, to say the least. Kagome had told him she had no experience in any sexual activity, but everything she did seemed to turn him on. His whole life, Sesshomaru had been taught that a mating ritual was made to make sure the female was happy, and this was new to him. It had always been in his mind that the male's pleasure didn't matter, although he enjoyed teasing Kagome. What she did to him made him want to take her right then and there.

Kagome pulled away from his lips and was about to go to his chest again, when she got a better idea. She laid down on Sesshomaru with her head curled under his chin, and she reached out and began stroking his fluff. She ran her hands through the silky fluff and snuggled into it, making Sesshomaru go nuts. His Mokomoko was the second most pleasurable spot Sesshomaru had. Stroking it the way Kagome was sent waves of joy and pleasure through his body. After a few minutes, he was ready to explode. He grabbed Kagome and flipped her over so she was underneath him again.

"You have no idea what that does to me, Kagome. I was ready to take you, despite the mating ritual rules." Kagome noticed that his eyes were rimmed with pink. She remembered seeing his red eyes in battle.

"I'm sorry." Sesshomaru growled and closed the space between their faces.

"Do not be sorry. It was amazing. The mating ritual is made for the happiness of the female, and I was not expecting you to do something that gave me such pleasure. But now, your turn is over." Sesshomaru kissed her again, and though he was gentle, his kiss was also demanding. Kagome complied to his wishes and opened her mouth to let him in. Sesshomaru took his chance and slipped his tongue in.

Sesshomaru explored every inch of her mouth, leaving no part untouched. Kagome moaned, which surprised her, because she had never moaned like that before. Sesshomaru put his tongue against hers, and they battled. Sesshomaru won easily, and he parted for air. Kagome was panting heavily. Sesshomaru didn't stop for long.

He untied the sash around Kagome's kimono and pulled it back. Kagome blushed and tried to keep it together. "Don't hide." Sesshomaru took Kagome's hands and pinned them above her head, then reopened her kimono to reveal her breasts. Sesshomaru smiled. They were the perfect size, with rosy tips. Kagome's blush deepened. Sesshomaru's gaze dropped lower, only to have his plans foiled when he discovered that Kagome was wearing panties.

As Kagome struggled to stop him, Sesshomaru tore the offending garment off and tossed it aside, fully revealing her womanhood to him.

"Sesshomaru, that was my favorite pair of underwear!" Sesshomaru smirked.

"You shouldn't have worn it." Kagome looked away as she realized that he was right. She should have known better than to wear them when Sesshomaru, the pleasure crazy youkai, would obviously tear them off. Sesshomaru kissed Kagome, but he didn't linger on her lips. He quickly moved up her jaw, and then down her neck. Kagome nervously struggled, but she wasn't able to stop him. Sesshomaru came to her breasts and latched onto one, suckling it like a pup looking for milk. Kagome gasped and threw her head back in pleasure.

With one hand, Sesshomaru massaged her other breast. Kagome took deep breaths, trying to hold back. Sesshomaru momentarily let go of her breast and looked at Kagome. "Go ahead and scream, if you wish." Kagome blushed again. Having him do this to her, she felt wonderful, but she didn't want to scream, for fear that the other people in the castle would hear her. "I put a sound proof seal on the door earlier. No one will hear us." Having said that, Sesshomaru latched back onto her breast. Kagome bit her lip, still trying to hold back her voice.

Sesshomaru released her breast and did the same treatment to the other. Kagome gasped, as simply taking in air became a chore. Sesshomaru started to get bored, and decided to do something he knew would drize Kagome crazy.

Sesshomaru kissed her, and as he did, he placed one hand on her womanhood. Kagome gasped, and Sesshomaru took the chance to slip his tongue in. While kissing her, he put one finger into her slick, wet folds. Kagome squirmed, unable to bear it. Sesshomaru gently massaged her, and Kagome only squirmed more. Sesshomaru broke from the kiss to allow her to breath.

Kagome panted, looking at Sesshomaru, her eyes glazed over with pleasure, and her mind clouded. All she could manage was panting. Sesshomaru stopped for a minute, and then slipped his finger into her. Kagome tightened her legs together. Sesshomaru used his leg to pry them apart. He started to pump in and out with his finger, sending Kagome over the edge.

"Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru smiled. He continued to pump her with his finger. Kagome was tight, and she squirmed and wriggled from the torture. It was too much for her.

Kagome tried to pull his hand away, but Sesshomaru kept her hands pinned down with his free hand. "It . . . feels so . . . good." Kagome gasped as his finger was replaced by something else. Sesshomaru's head was buried in her lap, and he was continuing the torture with his tongue.

Sesshomaru was enjoying this more than he thought he would. He let go of Kagome's hands and used his hands to hold her hips in place. Kagome put her hand on his head and pushed, trying to bury him deeper in her. Sesshomaru could tell she was about to come.

"Do you like this, Kagome?" Kagome could only pant. Sesshomaru kept at it.

"SESSHOMARU!" Sesshomaru lapped up her juices as Kagome came down from her high. She tasted sweet and delicious. Sesshomaru sat up and licked his lips. Kagome took deep breaths and slowly sat up. She calmed down, and glared at Sesshomaru. "You're . . . going to . . . get it now." Kagome toppled Sesshomaru to the ground and growled. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow mockingly. _She's fierce. _

Kagome smiled and removed his sash completely. Sesshomaru watched as she grabbed the edge of his pants and pulled them off. Sesshomaru growled playfully and tried to hold her back, but Kagome managed to pin his hands down the way he had. She moved so she wasn't straddling him, and did something neither of them had expected her to do. Kagome grabbed his member and began stroking it. Sesshomaru moaned in pleasure. Kagome, knowing she had him, ran her hand up and down his length. Sesshomaru twisted against her almost the same way she had squirmed against him.

Kagome, still holding his hands, placed kisses on his chest and went toward his abdomen. She wanted to give him the same treatment he had given her. She continued down until she reached his member. Slowly, she kissed from the base up to the tip, and took the tip into her mouth and started sucking it. It was a tangy, salty taste, and Kagome loved it. She released Sesshomaru's hands as she listened to him moan.

While she sucked on him, Kagome used one of her hands to pet and stroke his fluff. Sesshomaru was going wild. His claws dug into the floor as he tried to hold back the way Kagome had.

Kagome continued sucking on him, and with her one free hand, she massaged his hips and entwined her legs with his. Sesshomaru moaned and growled at Kagome's actions. His hand became tangled in her hair. Kagome tried to fit as much of his member into her mouth as she could, which wasn't much. _God, he's huge! How is this thing supposed to fit in me when we actually mate?_

Kagome started to suck harder, and Sesshomaru had reached his end. Kagome was surprised as he came into her mouth, but she tried to drink up as much of the liquid as she could.

Kagome started to grow tired, and she released him. She sat up and tried to catch her breath. She licked her lips, which were still rich with the taste of Sesshomaru's member. Sesshomaru sat up and pulled Kagome into his lap.

"Why don't we retire for the night?" Kagome nodded. Sesshomaru laid down on his bed with Kagome curled up by him. He pulled the blanket over them and made sure she was comfortable. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep.

-End-

Hey! I hope you liked this chapter! For the voting, a majority of people wanted them to start the fourth step, but some people wanted them to wait, so I tried to merge the decisions a little. They still did the fourth step, but Kagome made them wait an extra day.

I hope you guys liked it, since this is the first lemon-type thing I've tried to write. I've read a lot of them, but this is the first time I've tried to write it. Be prepared, because soon they'll go after Naraku again, and Sango and Miroku will soon be coming back into the story. Please review! Reviews have helped so much! Please please please review! Review review review review!I'll try to update as soon as I can! My computer is still slightly busted, but I'll try my best! Review! Okay, bye bye!


	33. The Hunt Begins Again

Kagome groaned as Sesshomaru shook her awake.

"Go away." Kagome pulled the pillow over her head. Last night had left her drained.

"It's time for training, and then we must leave to continue hunting Naraku." Kagome moaned and sat up. She shook her head and stood. "You may wish to put some clothes on." Kagome looked at herself and blushed. She swiped the blanket and covered herself with it. Sesshomaru chuckled, and Kagome discovered that he was already wearing pants.

"Don't laugh at me. How am I supposed to get to my room when I'm naked?" Sesshomaru stood and placed his hand on the wall. A secret door opened to reveal Kagome's room.

"I have this in case I need to get into your room and I don't have time to go into the hall and use the door." Kagome cautiously stepped through the opening and looked back at Sesshomaru.

"I'll see you in a few minutes." Sesshomaru close the passageway and started to get ready.

Kagome dropped the blanket and put on her training outfit. _I can't believe he has a way into my room! He could've snuck in any time he wanted! _Kagome put her hair up and sighed.

On her way to the dojo, Kagome noticed that there weren't many servants or guests walking down the halls. So far she hadn't seen any at all. Although she and Sesshomaru trained early, there were some guests who were up earlier.

Kagome saw a guest walking down the hall towards her. "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but do you know why I haven't seen anyone in the castle yet?" The guest glanced at her and covered her mouth.

"I apologize, my lady, but I must be somewhere else." Kagome raised her eyebrow as the guest rushed past her. _Do I have something on my face? I didn't bother to look in the mirror when I was getting ready. _Kagome shrugged and continued on.

oOo

After training, Kagome had taken a bath and made sure to wash her face so that whatever was on her face came off. She had asked Sesshomaru, but he wouldn't say anything about it.

Kagome went to breakfast, but the guests kept glancing at her, afraid that they might get in trouble for staring. Shippo and Rin weren't afraid to get in trouble, and stared at her throughout breakfast, barely touching their food. Hatori was the only one who wasn't staring.

"Okay, what's wrong? Do I have anything on my face? It's okay to tell me." Rin and Shippo looked away, and there was whispering among the guests. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. "Tell me what's going on, please." Sesshomaru smirked and ignored her. "I'm fed up with everyone staring. I'll just go look myself."

Kagome stood and left the dining room, intent on finding out what was wrong. She went to her room and looked in the mirror.

oOo

Sesshomaru watched Kagome leave. He stood and looked around the room.

"I do not want anyone criticizing Kagome or myself. If you have thoughts, keep it to yourself, and do not stare." Sitting, Sesshomaru glared at the kids. "Do not say anything. Kagome has to see this for herself before we say anything."

"Sesshomaru, get down here!" Everyone looked at the door. That was Kagome.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why exactly did this happen? I thought it wasn't supposed to happen until after the mating ritual was over. That's what you told us." Sesshomaru ignored Rin and went to Kagome's room.

Kagome was staring at herself in the full-body mirror. She saw Sesshomaru come in and glared at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sesshomaru hugged her.

"You have to find out yourself. It's in the mating ritual rules." Kagome pushed him back.

"This is part of the mating ritual? How?" Kagome looked back at the mirror. On her cheeks were two pairs of dark blue stripes. They looked like Sesshomaru's except for the color.

"It wasn't supposed to happen until after we mated. After the mating, the female accepts the male in mind, body, and soul, and in addition to gaining the family mark, she gains any other marks that he has, only in the color that befits them. Your color is blue for maternity, and you have gained my facial marks. My guess would be that soon you will gain the marks that I have on my hands as well." Kagome brought her hands up to her face. She could already see a faint blue mark.

"But why now? We haven't mated yet, have we?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. He shook his head.

"No, not officially, but we are close. It may be that you have accepted me in mind and soul already, and now all you have to do is accept me in body, which will happen when we mate. I have heard of this happening before. I believe that my great-great-grandmother began to have the marks of her mate before the mating." Kagome looked back in the mirror.

"Why me? Why can't everything just go the way it's supposed to?" Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her and put his forehead against hers.

"It's fine. No harm will come from it. The other guests were staring because, if memory serves, this only happens to youkai who are extremely powerful, more powerful than a normal youkai. It only means that you have power, which we will need for both the mating ritual, and Naraku." Kagome sighed.

"All right, if you say so. You could have told me." Sesshomaru kissed her forehead.

"I already said, it's against the rules. You must find out for yourself. Of course, some youkai know ahead of time." Kagome smiled and hit his chest playfully.

"Next time, rules or not, you tell me when I have weird markings on my face." Sesshomaru nodded and kissed her.

Sesshomaru left, and Kagome sat on her bed and relaxed. As she sat there, her thoughts drifted to last night. _It was so . . . amazing. I didn't know I could feel like that. __**Booyah! I think Sesshomaru liked what you did to him too. **__I don't even know why I did that . . . I was just caught up in the moment. __**We have an awesome guy! And he's all ours! No one else can touch him! **__We're not mated yet. __**Oh, please! You're as good as mated! **_

Kagome stood and went to the balcony. The kids were playing in the garden again. _I'll have to tell them that we're going after Naraku soon. I should start packing. _Kagome opened the closet and dragged her backpack out. She opened it and looked through. She found the box where the last petal of her flower remained. She took out the petal and looked at it.

The symbol on the flower showed a white crescent moon with Sesshomaru's name on it, and a smaller black moon with Kagome's name on it. Kagome had almost forgotten what it looked like. She rubbed the petal between her fingers.

Kagome put the petal back and dug through her backpack. She took out her photo album and opened it to the 'Villain' section. She browsed through until she found Sesshomaru's picture. Kagome smiled and took the picture out. She flipped through the album until she came to the 'Friends' section, and placed his picture in an empty spot.

After going through the rest of her things, Kagome concluded that she needed to go home and fetch supplies, along with a new pair of shoes. Her old school shoes were worn and too small. Kagome had been wearing sandals while at the castle.

Kagome stood and pulled of her kimono. She put on a T-shirt and a sweater with slacks. She decided to use her school shoes for now. She grabbed her backpack and went out into the garden.

The kids were teasing Inuyasha, playing keep-away with his fire-rat shirt.

"Give it, you annoying pests!" Shippo tossed it to Rin. Rin giggled and gave it to Hatori.

"Come on, that's Inuyasha's. Give it back." They looked up to see Kagome walking up to them. Hatori gave Inuyasha's shirt back, and he impatiently put it back on. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Mama? Is something wrong?" Kagome shook her head.

"We're leaving." The kids' eyes went wide.

"Leaving? Mama, I thought you said you liked Sesshomaru." Kagome laughed.

"I do like him, more than you think. I shouldn't have said it like that. We're going after Naraku again. We've been putting it off. Sesshomaru and I agree that we can stop the mating ritual until Naraku is gone. Inuyasha, you're coming, right?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"I have to keep an eye on Sesshomaru. I'm sure you too had fun last night, right? I'm going to make sure he doesn't do it while we're traveling." Kagome blushed.

"Inuyasha, not in front of the kids. Oh, Hatori, do you want to come?" Kagome looked at him.

"Could I?" Kagome smiled.

"Sure. We wouldn't want to leave you at this boring castle by yourself." Hatori smiled and bowed.

"Thank you." Kagome bent down and pat him on the head.

"Your welcome. I'm ready, so you kids better get what you can before we leave." Kagome stood and looked at the kids.

"We're leaving today? I thought Rin and I could explore." Rin giggled and looked away. Kagome smiled. _That's so cute! I think Shippo has a crush on Rin!_

"Sorry, we have to leave today. Sesshomaru is probably ready by now." Upon saying his name, Sesshomaru came into the garden and grabbed Kagome from behind.

"You are correct. I am ready to leave. Jaken is taking Ah-Un out of his stable as we speak." Kagome looked up at him.

"Speaking of him, I haven't seen Jaken since we came here. Where has he been?" Sesshomaru smirked.

"Although he is my advisor, he doesn't live in the castle. He sleeps with Ah-Un in his stable, and comes into the castle to take care of some things during the day."

"That's not very nice." Sesshomaru tightened his grip.

"I am not fond of Jaken. Is there a reason I should be nice to him?" Kagome playfully kicked him.

"Everybody deserves kindness. You're being a meanie." Sesshomaru turned Kagome so she was facing him and leaned in.

"I'm a meanie, am I?" Kagome blushed.

The kids and Inuyasha watched the display of affection between the two.

"I'm going to be sick. See ya." Inuyasha leaped out of the garden. The kids stayed for a few more seconds before leaving to get their things together.

Kagome pushed away from Sesshomaru and tried to hide her face from him.

"Does Jaken have Ah-Un? Maybe you should check on them." Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome again.

"They are fine. I should warn you, Kagome, that the fact that we will soon be traveling in a large group does not mean that the fourth step ended last night. We may not indulge in each other to such a point, but I will have my fun." Kagome practically melted in his arms as his words set her senses off.

"I'm . . . warning you . . . right now . . . that you . . . shouldn't do anything like that." Sesshomaru smiled and gave her a chaste kiss before vanishing. Kagome stumbled slightly before calming down and collecting herself. _What was I doing? I felt like I was on fire just from him mentioning it! If he has that much power over me, I'd better watch out. _

oOo

Shippo, Hatori, Rin, and Kagome were all waiting in the garden. Sesshomaru had gone to get Jaken and Ah-Un, and Inuyasha hadn't been around all morning. Everyone was ready to leave. Shippo looked up at Kagome.

"Mama, do you think you'll be able to fight Naraku?" Kagome sighed.

"I don't know. Before we do anything, I want to try and find Sango and Miroku. They've been looking for Naraku by themselves all this time. I'm hoping we can travel as a group and fight Naraku together. Naraku's probably stronger than before, and we'll need all the help we can get." Shippo started plucking the grass.

"Can I fight too?" Kagome smiled.

"Maybe, but what about Hatori and Rin? They'll have to stay behind." Shippo looked at them. Rin was watching the sky, and Hatori was humming to himself.

"I guess I should stay with them if something happens." Kagome pat Shippo on the head.

After a few minutes, Kagome started to get bored. She stood and cleared her throat.

"Out here in the quiet of the night, beneath the stars, and morn.

We both know we've got something on our minds.

We won't admit, but it's true.

You look at me, I look away.

I want to tell you what I'm feeling,

but I don't know how to start

I want to tell you but now I'm afraid,

that you might break my heart.

Oh why should anything so easy ever be so hard to do?

I want to tell you what I'm feeling and to say that

I love you."

The kids stopped what they were doing and listened to Kagome. Her voice rang through the garden, attracting the attention of some of the servants and nobles nearby. A strange, calming aura went out, and everyone listening stopped what they were doing to listen to Kagome's pure voice.

Sesshomaru came into the garden with Jaken and Ah-Un following. They heard Kagome's singing, and Sesshomaru recognized it immediately.

When they reached the spot where Kagome was, Sesshomaru saw that the servants and nobles had all stopped completely. Kagome had closed her eyes and was leaning against a tree. Sesshomaru walked up to them and sat next to the kids. He listened carefully to the song.

The world seemed to stop as Kagome continued singing. A few nobles moved closer to hear it better. The servants were afraid they would be in trouble if they moved, but they still stopped to listen.

After a few minutes, the song ended, and Kagome opened her eyes, realizing that everyone in the garden was staring at her. The servants quickly went back to work, and the nobles went back to what they were doing. Kagome blushed and sat down. Sesshomaru shifted closer to her and pulled her into his lap.

"May I ask why you were singing?" Kagome looked away.

"I was bored. I didn't think everyone would be staring at me." Sesshomaru looked around. The people in the garden had all gone back to what they were doing.

"You should be flattered. Your singing is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard." Kagome looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you. It was a song from my time that I taught to myself." Ah-Un came up to them and nudged Kagome's face. Kagome laughed and pet the dragon.

"Lord Sesshomaru, shouldn't we be going?" Sesshomaru glanced at Jaken.

"Inuyasha is coming with us. We are waiting for him." Jaken was puzzled, but didn't question him. He had seen Inuyasha around the castle, and had asked Sesshomaru once, but his only answer was a punch on the head.

"Ready!" Inuyasha leaped into the garden. Kagome stood and put her backpack on. The kids climbed onto Ah-Un, and they set off.

oOo

Sango sighed as she washed her boomerang. Miroku slowly cooked the fish over the fire.

"I miss Kagome and Shippo. It's been boring around here without them." Miroku leaned against a tree.

"Don't worry, Sango. At least we've been able to get two shards. I'm sure Kagome is fine." Sango sat next to him.

"What if she isn't? What if Sesshomaru is mean to her? What if-" Miroku covered her mouth.

"Don't say 'if.' It only causes you to worry more. Kagome won't let Sesshomaru hurt her." Sango clutched her shirt.

"I hope so. I'm mostly worried about the fourth step of the mating ritual. Kagome said she would never do anything like that until she was married." Miroku pat her on the back.

"Stop worrying. Kagome will be fine." Kirara jumped into Sango's lap and mewed. Sango began to pet her.

"My father always said that it's not a good idea to disturb a youkai when he has a female with him. What if Sesshomaru is like Inuyasha? What if he gets over-possesive and hurts her?" Miroku sighed.

"Sesshomaru won't do something like that, I'm sure. He has more respect than to let himself do that."

"I hope you're right."

-End-

Hey!! I hope you liked this chapter! Sess and Kags are getting lovey-dovey!! I'm sorry if Sesshomaru seems a little OC, but it's hard to make him act like himself and be lovey-dovey at the same time. But I try!

Yay!! 700 Reviews!! Hooray!! Thank you all so much! I love all of these reviews! Thank you!

For those of you who don't know, the song Kagome sang is actually a song from Pokemon! Seriously! Misty sings it to Ash at some point or something. I've never seen the episode when she sings it, but I've heard it before, and I think it's a sweet song.

Jaken hasn't been in the story for a long time. If I remember correctly, the last time was when the Southern Lord came to visit. He won't be in the story much. He may speak occasionally, but I think that'll be it.

This is it for now, but I promise I'll update soon! I will tell you one thing about the future chapter. There will be a big surprise!! None of you will suspect it!!

Well, I gotta go! Oh, wait, I almost forgot. Review review review review review review!! Hit the button! Review! Please!! Just hit the button and say something! Please review! I'll try and update soon! Bye bye!


	34. Old Friends

A/N: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THIS!!

I'm sorry!! I'm sorry!! I decided to leave out the special surprise until the next chapter. Sorry!! The end of this chapter just seemed like such a good ending! I'm sorry! But I promise, the surprise will definitely be in the next chapter. I promise!! For now, read this, and I'm sorry!!

* * *

Kagome sighed and rested her head against the tree. They were sitting around a fire, and they had just finished dinner. They had just left that morning, and Kagome was starting to notice some tension between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru. During the trip, Sesshomaru and Kagome had walked ahead of everyone else, and Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru was teasing him. He had kissed and hugged Kagome more times than Inuyasha could stand. Inuyasha realized that he could never be Kagome's mate, but he still had feelings for her, and watching Sesshomaru with her made him sick.

Kagome started digging through her backpack. She smiled as she found what she was looking for and pulled it out.

"Here, Inuyasha. You look upset. This should cheer you up." Inuyasha looked at her as Kagome handed him a bag of chips. He smiled and greedily took them. "I have some for you too, Sesshomaru." Kagome pulled out another bag and gave it to Sesshomaru.

"Thank you." Sesshomaru took the bag and began eating. Inuyasha growled and turned his back to the group before eating his chips. Kagome gave another bag to the kids to share before setting her bag aside and sitting by Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, I should tell you, I need to go back home for supplies soon. Those were the last chips I had, and I don't have any other food, except some ramen." Sesshomaru offered her the bag, but Kagome shook her head. "I don't want any. Chips are fattening."

"I'm sure you will still look beautiful if you eat a few." Kagome blushed.

"Anyway, can I go home soon?" Sesshomaru nodded and offered her the chips again. Kagome paused before taking one. "Thanks."

"I'm going to look around for youkai. Be back later." Inuyasha stood and leapt away. Kagome sighed and leaned against Sesshomaru.

"I wish I knew why Inuyasha is acting so weird." Sesshomaru pulled her onto his lap.

"Ignore him. You should go to sleep, and we will head to the well tomorrow." Kagome nodded and curled into him.

oOo

Hatori looked around at the scenery. They were on their way to the well that led to Kagome's home. Shipp and Rin had explained it to him, but unknown to them, Hatori was already aware of it. He knew everything about Kagome, and soon he planned to tell the group who he really was.

Inuyasha stared at Kagome and Sesshomaru. They were walking side by side, and Sesshomaru had his arm around Kagome's waist. Sesshomaru looked back at Inuyasha and growled. He pulled Kagome closer.

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. _Why's he acting so uptight? And why is he growling at Inuyasha? _Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. Sesshomaru growled again. Kagome turned her attention back to the path.

"Sesshomaru, why are you and Inuyasha being mean to each other? I know you don't like each other, but you don't need to be so mean." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome.

"I apologize. It is simply instinct. A male must protect his female from other males that seek her attention." Kagome glanced at Inuyasha.

"But Inuyasha knows that he can't be my mate. He's not going to do anything." Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her.

"I am aware of that, but I can tell that my brother still harbors feelings for you, even if he knows he can't be your mate. As long as he has feelings for you, I must make sure that he stays away from you." Sesshomaru smirked. "It is also fun to tease him because I have finally have something he wants but can't have." Kagome playfully punched his arm.

"That's not nice."

Shippo and Rin quietly listened to Kagome and Sesshomaru. Rin leaned in and started whispering to Shippo.

"Lord Sesshomaru is so mich nicer now that he and Kagome love each other. I'm glad." Shippo nodded.

"But, have you noticed something about Hatori? He's been acting weird lately." They looked at Hatori, who was in deep thought. He saw them watching him and smiled.

"Is something wrong?" Rin and Shippo shook their heads. Shippo scratched his head.

"Hatori, do you know your youkai parent?" Hatori shook his head.

"No, I never met my dad. What about you, Shippo? Did you know your parents?" Shippo nodded.

"Mama died when I was little, and Papa was killed. Kagome was nice enough to take care of me, though."

"Lady Kagome is very kind. You told me she's from a different time period, right?" Rin nodded.

"Shippo told me all about it. He said Kagome has all kinds of good food to eat, and fun toys to play with. She used to bring you that stuff, right?" Shippo smiled and nodded.

"Mama doesn't bring me toys anymore because I'm older, but the food she has is delicious, like those chips we had yesterday."

"Those were good! Did you like them, Hatori?" Hatori nodded.

Kagome glanced back at the kids. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. They had been riding Ah-Un the whole way, and Jaken was holding his reins. Inuyasha walked ahead of Ah-Un, but kept his distance from Sesshomaru. Kagome felt bad for him.

"Sesshomaru, can I talk to Inuyasha for a minute?" Sesshomaru glanced at her, and back at Inuyasha. He let her go, but growled a warning to Inuyasha. Kagome slowed down so she was next to him. "I'm sorry you have to stay away from Sesshomaru like this."

"It's fine. I wouldn't want to be near him anyway." Kagome pat his shoulder.

"Don't look so sad. You can have as much instant ramen as you want when we get to my time. Sesshomaru can't . . ." Kagome trailed off as she remembered the shard that Sesshomaru had taken from her. He still had it, which meant he could come to her time.

"I don't care if he comes." Kagome sighed.

"This is going to be stressful." _Having the guy I used to like and my future mate together is bad. Especially since they hate each other. __**Look at the bright side, at least you have a hunky youkai mate all to yourself! **__Stop being so weird! Just because he's my future mate doesn't mean I can think if him like that. __**Sure it does! When will you ever get it? **_Kagome sighed again.

Sesshomaru heard Kagome sighing and sensed the stress that she was feeling. He turned around and pulled back to the front of the group with him.

"You must relax if you are feeling stressed. Would you like me to carry you?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, and why did you pull me away from Inuyasha? He's not the reason I'm stressed. Well, he kind of is, but not really. Anyway, I was trying to talk to him." Sesshomaru moved the hair away from Kagome's eyes.

"I want you to relax and rest. If something is causing you stress, then I will separate you from it." Kagome looked back at Inuyasha, but he looked away. Kagome glared at Sesshomaru.

"It's not polite to pull someone away when they're having a conversation, regardless of how stressed I am. Besides, it's the fact that you and Inuyasha aren't being nice to each other that's making me feel bad. The idea of my future mate and the guy I used to like being near each other makes me worry. I'm fine, and if you don't mind, I want to talk with Inuyasha for a few more minutes." Kagome stopped to wait for Inuyasha, but then looked back at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru's pride was a little hurt by Kagome's words. She made it sound like he had done something bad. Kagome walked back to him and kissed his cheek. "I don't mean to sound angry. I just want to talk with Inuyasha since he wasn't around the castle before." Kagome went over to Inuyasha and began talking with him.

Sesshomaru looked ahead and sniffed the air. The well was still far off, and it would be a few days before they reached it. He glanced back at Kagome. _If she wishes to talk with my brother, then I will allow her. __**No! Take her back! She can't be near him! **__I'm sure she will be fine. _Sesshomaru felt a strange pain. Seeing Kagome talk with Inuyasha rather than be with him made him feel unimportant. He growled. _Why am I so affected by this? She's only talking with him. I should not feel so possessive. _

They continued walking for a few more hours. Things were quiet, and besides the conversations and their footsteps, there was no other noise. Kagome was still talking with Inuyasha, but she was quickly becoming bored. All he could talk about were his adventures with Kikyo before she died.

"I'm sorry I keep talking about Kikyo. It must be annoying." Kagome smiled.

"It's fine, but I think I'll go back to Sesshomaru now." Kagome jogged up to Sesshomaru and smiled at him. "I'm sorry for leaving for so long. And I'm sorry for yelling earlier. I wasn't trying to be mean."

"It is all right. It was rude of me to take you away when you were talking." Kagome smiled and stroked his fluff. She suddenly heard a noise and looked up. Something was flying in the air above them.

oOo

Sango sighed as they flew through the air on Kirara. Miroku looked around for any sign of a youkai that could have a shard.

"We've been looking for hours. I don't think we'll find anything today."

"Sango, you must have faith. I'm sure we'll be able to help some people, if nothing else." Sango stroked Kirara's ears.

"Kirara, you must be tired. Do you want to stop?" Kirara roared. "Miroku, we should land." Miroku didn't respond. "Miroku?"

"What's that?" Miroku pointed to the ground. Sango leaned over to look. There appeared to be a few moving things, but they were too high to see what they looked like. Kirara roared and began to descend.

"Kirara, what are you doing?" Kirara kept going down. As they went down, Sango and Miroku were able to see the things on the ground. Sango's eyes went wide. "Kagome!"

Kagome paused a moment before smiling and waving.

"Sango! Miroku! It's been so long!" Kagome kept waving until Kirara was a few feet of the ground. She landed and Sango sprung off her back and ran to Kagome. Kagome opened her arms and the girls hugged each other tightly.

"Kagome! I can't believe it!" They pulled away and smiled at each other. "How have you been?"

"Great! How about you? I've been worried that you wouldn't be able to find shards without me." Sango laughed.

"We were lucky. We managed to find a few." Miroku walked over.

"Kagome, it's nice to see you." Miroku hugged Kagome, but he barely had time to try and womanize her before he was on the ground, and looking up at a raging Sesshomaru.

"Monk, you would do well to stay away from Kagome." Miroku stood and backed away.

"I apologize." Kagome tugged Sesshomaru's sleeve.

"Don't hurt him, he's my friend." Sesshomaru growled, but calmed down. Sango was amazed. She pulled Kagome aside and lowered her voice.

"Kagome, what was that?" Kagome blushed.

"Well, you've missed a lot. Why don't we eat lunch together and I'll explain?"

In a few minutes, they had a camp set up and were cooking the last of the ramen that Kagome had, along with a few mushrooms Rin and Shippo had gathered.

"You love him?!" Sango was shocked. Kagome blushed again.

"Yes. He told me during my birthday party at the castle."

"His castle?! Kagome, what the heck has been going on?" Kagome shrugged.

"We just had to stay at the castle for a while, and we had my birthday party while we were there, and Sesshomaru started training me to use my youkai powers. I even have my own sword." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, who pulled Junsei from his waist and gave it to Kagome. He had agreed to carry it for a few days, but soon Kagome would have to carry it. Sesshomaru had told her that she needed to get used to having a sword at her waist.

Sango gently took the sword from Kagome and inspected it.

"This sword is amazing. It's so lightweight, but so sharp. Where did you get this?" Kagome took the sword back and looked it over.

"Sesshomaru gave it to me. It was forged from his fang by Totosai a long time ago. It's called Junsei. Sesshomaru told me I'm going to have to start carrying it soon so I can get used to having a sword with me."

"May I see it?" Kagome turned to Miroku and nodded. He took the sword and looked it over.

"It's a very finely crafted sword. I wouldn't mind seeing you use it sometime." Miroku gave it back. Kagome gave it to Sesshomaru, who put it back on his waist.

"This is unexpected. We weren't trying to find you or anything. Miroku and I were only looking for shards, or Naraku, if possible."

"Why don't we travel together?" Everyone looked at Kagome. "We might as well. It'll be easier to fight Naraku if we're together, and being together will be more fun." Miroku smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea." Sango hugged Kagome.

"I'm glad we can be together again. But may I ask what Inuyasha is doing here?" Everyone looked at him. Inuyasha growled.

"He asked to come with us, and he apologized. Everything between us is fine. Don't worry." Sango gave Kagome a sympathetic look.

"Are you sure?" Kagome nodded. "Also, who is the youkai boy?" Sango pointed to Hatori.

"Oh, he's a cat hanyou. He asked for my help, and he ended up coming with us too." Hatori smiled. Sango eyed him suspiciously. There was something about him that she didn't like.

After lunch, they started up again. Kagome stayed with Sango and Miroku in order to catch up with them, but Sesshomaru continually glanced back at Miroku, keeping an eye on him.

"Kagome, what happened to the flower petal? Didn't the flower fall apart with just one petal left?" Kagome nodded and reached into her backpack. She pulled out the box and took the petal out.

"I kept it with me. I wanted to make sure it was safe." She put it back, and Sango smiled.

"I'm glad you kept it. May I ask how far into the mating ritual you are?" Kagome blushed.

"Uh . . . right now . . . Sesshomaru and I are in the fourth step." Miroku's eyes went wide.

"Kagome, surely you haven't done anything like that?" Kagome looked away.

"Actually . . . we have." Sango's hand went over her mouth.

"I thought you said you weren't going to do that until you were married, or in this case, until the mating." Kagome's blush deepened.

"It's a part of the mating ritual, so I had to do it sometime. I figured it was better not to put it off." Miroku chuckled.

"That's not true." Kagome raised her eyebrow at him.

"What?" Miroku had to take a breath to stop from laughing.

"I thought Lord Sesshomaru had told you. The fourth step can be skipped." Kagome gasped, and glared at Sesshomaru.

"He never told me that!" Sesshomaru kept his eyes on the path ahead. Kagome ran up to him and tugged his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?" Sesshomaru stopped and pulled Kagome close to him. He leaned in and smirked.

"You think I would have passed up a chance to see your beautiful body?" Kagome's face was completely red. He let her go and continued walking. Kagome stood there for a minute. Sango pat her shoulder, bringing Kagome to her senses. She kept walking with them, thinking about what Sesshomaru had done. _I can't believe that jerk! All this time we could've skipped it! __**Did you want to skip it? **__Well, I'll admit that it was . . . nice, but he could have told me. __**Then you wouldn't have done it. **__Shut up!_

oOo

Sesshomaru listened to Kagome's breath as she slept. It was late, and everyone was beginning to settle down. Sango and Miroku were sleeping near each other, and the kids were cuddled up by Ah-Un. Jaken had gone to get firewood. Inuyasha sat up in a tree, and Kagome was in Sesshomaru's lap while Sesshomaru leaned against a tree.

"Hey, how does Kagome feel?" Sesshomaru looked up at Inuyasha.

"Why do you ask something like that? You can clearly see that she's sleeping." Inuyasha jumped down from his tree and sat near Sesshomaru.

"No, I mean, how does she feel about you? Does she reallly love you like she says?" Sesshomaru stroked Kagome's face.

"Of course she does, and I love her. I will protect her with my life and make sure she has everything she wants." Inuyasha scoffed.

"It doesn't seem like you can love anybody." Sesshomaru growled.

"I love Kagome with all my heart."

"In such a short time?" Sesshomaru shifted slightly. "It hasn't been that long since Kagome came to stay with you. I know she can't be mine, but I was with her for years, and I can honestly say that I love her and want to protect her. What about you? You've had barely any time to get to know her. You have no right to claim that you love her." Sesshomaru growled again.

"Maybe it is not a matter of time, but a matter of how in tune to my feelings I am. You were a moron not to realize your love until you couldn't have her. I believe it is you who doesn't have the right to proclaim his love." Inuyasha looked away.

"I know what I did was stupid. Look, I don't want to argue. I just wanted to tell you that Kagome is an amazing and wonderful person, and you better protect her with your life and love her like there's no tomorrow. She deserves the best. She's always looked out for others, and now it's time she got something in return." Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her.

"Little brother, I know this. You don't need to tell me." Inuyasha scoffed again and went back into his tree. He looked back down.

"And don't forget that Kagome isn't a possession. Women these days are treated like that, but Kagome is as far from a possession as you can get, and she doesn't deserve to be treated that way." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I am fully aware of that."

oOo

Kagome groaned as Sesshomaru shook her awake.

"Go away." Sesshomaru removed Kagome from his lap and set her on the ground.

"It is time for training." Kagome rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was cold and dark, and everyone was still sleeping. She stood and reached for her backpack.

"I'll be ready in a minute. Find someplace to train." Sesshomaru left the camp. Kagome hid behind a tree and started to put on her training kimono. Since she couldn't take proper baths in the woods, Kagome had resorted to bathing in the nearest river after training. Sesshomaru had finished teaching her the stances for sword battle, and now he was going to show her how to channel her energy into the sword to perform attacks.

When she was done, Kagome sniffed the air and followed Sesshomaru's scent to a clearing. He already had Tokijin out. He tossed Junsei to her, and Kagome caught it easily.

"Start with a basic stance." Kagome positioned herself. "The way to use an attack is to focus your energy into the sword. Because of your miko powers, I'm sure your attacks will be different from a typical youkai. Grip Junsei tightly and imagine your energy pouring into it." Kagome did as she was told.

Kagome was amazed when Junsei began glowing with a light pink aura. She tried to stay focused. The aura flowed around her and made it seem as if there was a light wind around her. "After focusing your energy, you must release it before it becomes too powerful for the attack you are using." Before he said anything else, Kagome tried to release the energy.

To Sesshomaru's surprise, the pink aura increased in size. Kagome closed her eyes. The energy swirled around her, and then moved to the sword. The energy flower around Junsei for a minute. Kagome lifted Junsei above her head.

"Herutsu Strike!" Kagome swung Junsei down, causing the aura to blast across the clearing. Sesshomaru jumped away just in time to see it smash into the forest and tear it apart. He looked back at Kagome, who was panting, but her expression quickly changed from fatigue to surprise when she saw what she did.

The entire clearing and the forest behind it had been turned to a pile of rock and soil. All of the grass and trees were gone. "Not again! Why can't I control my power?!" Sesshomaru put his hand on Kagome's back.

"That was amazing. I didn't expect this much of an attack your first time. Although, I'm starting to believe that I shouldn't underestimate you as much." They heard footsteps and turned to see Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha, and the kids coming to see what had happened. They all stared blankly at the area.

"Kagome . . . did you do this?" Kagome smiled at Sango.

"Yeah, I guess it was too much. I was trying to use an attack with my sword, and I got carried away." Hatori ran over to her and grabbed her hand. He looked at it and inspected the other hand.

"Why aren't you wearing the ring I gave you?" Kagome looked at her hand.

"I didn't want to damage it during training. Why?" Hatori sighed.

"That ring is important. If you aren't wearing it, your powers can't be contained."

"What? How can a ring contain my powers? What are you talking about?" Hatori paused.

"I suppose I should tell you now."

-End-

Hey!! Again, I'm sorry the special surprise isn't here, but this seemed like a good place to stop. I hope you liked this chapter! I had fun writing it! Sango and Miroku are back! Yay! I want to thank you all for supporting me!

I bet you're all wondering about Hatori, right? I've got something planned for him! I can't say much for now except . . . review!! Review review review review!! Please review! I love all the reviews I've been getting, and I would love more! Please review! Well, I have to go for now, but I'll update soon, and I promise the surprise will be in the next chapter! Bye-bye!


	35. The Battle Begins

Everyone stared at Hatori. Shippo walked up to him.

"What are you talking about? Tell us what?" Hatori stepped away from them and closed his eyes. A strange, blue aura suddenly appeared, surrounding him. The aura flashed, and everyone covered their eyes. When they opened them, Hatori was gone.

Everyone gasped at what they saw. Instead of Hatori, a beautiful priestess was standing there. Her long, black hair flowed around her, and her bright, lavender eyes sparkled.

"Greetings. I am Midoriko." They were silent for a minute. Kagome took a step closer.

"Midoriko? Are you serious?" Midoriko smiled.

"Of course. I'm entirely serious. I should explain. You see, Kagome is not what she seems. She is the reincarnation of, not just Kikyo, but of myself." Kagome's eyes went wide.

"You?! But you're a legend! There's no way . . ." Midoriko chuckled.

"Well, you see, after I died, and the jewel was created, my soul ascended to Hell, where all humans and youkai go when they die. But, as I soon found out, my soul would not fit with the others, because of its purity. My soul could not rest in peace. And so, my soul went back to the land of the living, where it put itself inside an unborn child, who would be known as Kikyo. This is where all pure souls go. Any soul that is too pure for Hell will come back as a human or youkai, but, depending on how that person is raised, the soul can be tainted.

"My soul, or should I say Kikyo's soul, was tainted with hate, but since that was because of the scheming plans of Naraku, her soul was spared and put into another child, five hundred years later. It was then that Kagome was born." Kagome sat on the grass and held her head.

"But, then how . . .? You're right here, and . . ." Midoriko bent down next to Kagome and placed her hand on Kagome's head. Kagome was surprised by how real she looked and felt.

"Most of my soul was in Kagome, but part of it was trapped in the jewel, still fighting the youkai that attacked me so many years ago." Midoriko stood. "When the jewel was shattered, that part of my soul was released, and for a long time, I wandered around the country. It wasn't until Kagome found the Flower of Fate that my soul found her, traveling with Sesshomaru. My soul couldn't enter her body, though, because another part was still missing. That was the ghost of Kikyo." Midoriko muttered some words under her breath, and suddenly, Kikyo appeared next to her. Kikyo looked dazed and confused for a minute, when she realized that she could now be seen.

"Kikyo, you really are a ghost. I didn't think my dream was true." Kikyo smiled at Kagome.

"Kikyo's soul, the fraction that was taken from Kagome, was also trapped and not allowed to reenter Kagome's body, and that was because she was watching over Kagome. Kikyo had to make sure Kagome and Sesshomaru became mates before returning. I decided that I must also do that, but I soon discovered that I still had some of my priestess powers. I used them to become Hatori, and watch Kagome more closely. This way I could talk with her, and help her. I pretended that my village was destroyed, but it wasn't my village at all. I just chose to use one that had been destroyed recently.

"The ring I gave Kagome controls her power and makes sure it doesn't get . . . out of hand. Because she wasn't wearing it, I suppose that's why . . . the forest was destroyed." Kikyo looked at her.

"But why are you saying this now? You could have stayed as Hatori." Midoriko looked at Kikyo and smiled.

"Because I think that we've both done enough." Midoriko looked at the group. She walked over to Sesshomaru.

"I've been watching you, and as a priestess, my powers have been able to tell that you love Kagome, more than anything. I can sense that your love for her is pure." Sesshomaru went over to Kagome and picked her up, bridal style.

"Of course. Kagome is my one and only love."

"How can you say that?!" Everyone turned to Inuyasha. "How can you say you love her?! I was with her for years! You barely had any time to get to know her!" Inuyasha's blood was boiling. Midoriko went over to him and cupped his cheek.

"Inuyasha, do not be judgmental. Love cannot be tested on how much time is spent together, but rather on how strong of a bond the two lovers feel. In most cases, this bond is strengthened by time and getting to know one another, but sometimes, time is not needed as much. The two just somehow feel that they should be together, whether or not they realize their feelings." Inuyasha stepped back, his ears hanging low.

"I'm sorry for interrupting." Midoriko smiled.

"Inuyasha, you may have lost Kagome, but I can tell that, in the near future, you will find a mate that will love you for what you are now, and you will be happy." Inuyasha turned away. Midoriko looked back at Sesshomaru and Kagome. "As I was going to say, I can see that Kagome and Sesshomaru love each other, and their bond will continue to become stronger. Kikyo, I believe that our souls will be able to merge and become one with Kagome." Kikyo nodded.

The group watched as Kikyo and Midoriko faced each other, and another blue aura surrounded them. The aura glowed brightly, and suddenly, Kikyo and Midoriko were replaced by a large, blue sphere of light. The light floated through the air for a minute before stopping in front of Kagome.

Sesshomaru instinctively tightened his grip on Kagome. The light changed shape, and altered to look like a ghostly form of Kagome. The form rested on Kagome, infusing itself with her. Kagome closed her eyes. A warm, cozy feeling engulfed her. She began to float upward, only to have Sesshomaru tighten his grip even more. _'No, let her go.' _A strange voice rang through his head. Sesshomaru growled, but released Kagome. She stayed floating in midair for a few minutes.

The light started to fade and Kagome gently came down. Sesshomaru caught her and pulled her close.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome groaned and opened her eyes.

"What . . . happened?"

"I believe that Midoriko and Kikyo gave you back your soul." Kagome rubbed her head.

"I feel . . . different. It's like there was a part of me missing, and now it's back." She looked around. Kikyo and Midoriko were gone. "This was so strange. I really believed that Hatori was a hanyou boy. All this time he was Midoriko." Kagome gasped as she suddenly sensed something. She hadn't felt this feeling in a while, but she recognized it.

"Kagome? What is it?" Sesshomaru waited for a response, but Kagome only stood and started running. "Kagome!" Sesshomaru followed her, and everyone else went after them.

"I sense a jewel shard! It's big! I think it might be Naraku!" Sesshomaru sniffed the air. Naraku's scent wasn't there, but he could have been hiding it. Sesshomaru caught up to Kagome and stopped her.

"Kagome, wait. Are you sure it's Naraku?" Kagome nodded.

"I'm sure of it. I'd recognize the feeling of detecting his huge piece of the shard anywhere." Sesshomaru nodded, and they continued on. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha followed. Rin and Shippo decided it would be best for them to wait at camp with Jaken and Ah-Un.

Kagome panted as she ran. _It's a good thing I still have my battle outfit on. I can't believe Naraku has showed up, right after I got the rest of my soul back. Weird timing. _Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, who was running next to her. "Give me my sword!" Sesshomaru looked at her.

"You would do better in battle with your arrows."

"I don't have them, remember? They're at camp, and I don't want to risk losing Naraku's trail."

Sesshomaru thought about it, and gave Junsei to Kagome. Kagome fumbled with it, trying to put it on her hip while running.

Sango removed her kimono to reveal her battle outfit that she was wearing underneath. Miroku readied his staff. Sesshomaru withdrew Tokijin, and Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga. Everyone was ready for battle.

oOo

Naraku laughed as he watched the scene in Kanna's mirror.

"I see that Kagome and Sesshomaru will soon be mates, and Kagome is a youkai as well. I hadn't expected this. Not that it will stop me from finishing them off." Naraku laughed again.

"Naraku, will you require my services?" Naraku looked over at Kohaku.

"No, go get Kagura for me." Kohaku nodded and left. Naraku looked back at the mirror. "Yes, I will make sure that they will meet their demise today."

oOo

"This way!" Kagome took a sharp left turn, the rest following her. Kagome could tell the jewel was close. At the speed they were going, they could reach it in a few minutes. Sesshomaru ran closer to her.

"How do you plan to battle?" Kagome panted, trying to keep her pace.

"I don't know . . . I suppose I'll just try to attack the way you told me, and see if I can use different attacks. I might also try battling face to face." Sesshomaru looked at Junsei. _I hope Kagome will be all right. If anything happens, I will protect her._

The group continued on, following Kagome's directions. Sesshomaru kept sniffing the air, but Naraku's scent didn't show up. "It's close! We're almost there!" Kagome sped up.

"I can smell him now!" Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru and sniffed the air. She could smell something putrid, like rotting flesh. Kagome almost gagged.

"It's smells terrible!" Ignoring the smell, Kagome focused on the jewel. It was very close. Suddenly, a huge blast of wind hit them, and everyone stopped. They looked up to see Kagura on her feather.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga above his head. Kagura put her hand up and motioned for them to follow, flying away.

"Let's go. She'll probably lead us to Naraku. She's done that before." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome with concern. Kagome just smiled. "Don't worry." After a minute, everyone decided to follow. Kagura flew through the air while the group followed below.

As they followed Kagura, the trees were replaced by open ground. Everyone stopped as they saw an old castle.

"That must be where Naraku's hiding!" Inuyasha raised his sword. Kagome placed her hand on his arm.

"Wait, Inuyasha. I can still sense the jewel, but it's weakening. Maybe this isn't it." Kagura landed and glared at the group.

"Naraku is here, but he has ordered me to fight you in his place." Kagura raised her fan and swiped it. "Dance of the Dragon!" Tornados ripped across the area. Kirara flew into the air, and Kagome just barely jumped out of the way. Sesshomaru growled and stood in front of her.

"Kagome, stay back." Sesshomaru took a battle stance. "Dragon Strike!" A blue beam came out of Tokijin. Kagura used her feather to fly. Kagome grabbed Sesshomaru's arm.

"Sesshomaru, stop! She led us here. She was helping us. Naraku ordered her to fight, and I think she'll be hurt if she doesn't. She has no choice. We shouldn't fight her."

"Kagome, whether or not she wants to, a fight is a fight." Kagome looked up at Kagura. She felt sorry for her, but Sesshomaru was right. A fight was a fight, but Kagome was going to try not to kill Kagura if she could help it.

"Kagura, I will take it from here." Kagura looked down. Standing in the middle of the battle area was Naraku.

"Naraku, I'll kill you!" Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga, releasing his Wind Scar. Naraku held up his hand and produced a barrier that blocked it.

"Foolish Inuyasha, always so rash. Before we fight, I would like to talk with Kagome." Naraku put the barrier down and started to walk towards them. Sesshomaru stepped in front of Kagome and growled. Kagome stepped to the side.

"Sesshomaru, I can protect myself." Sesshomaru growled at Naraku again. Naraku continued walking until he was about ten feet from Kagome. Kagome took a battle stance.

"Calm down. I do not want to fight just yet. I have heard rumors about you and Sesshomaru, and that you two will soon be mates." Kagome gripped Junsei tighter. "And you have become a youkai. How interesting. I can't wait to see how you do in battle." Naraku jumped into the air, surrounding himself in a barrier. While floating, he held up his hand and released an energy beam.

Kagome leaped out of the way. She landed and held up Junsei.

"Herutsu Strike!" The attack went straight for Naraku. Confident that his barrier would hold, Naraku didn't move. The attack struck his barrier, and to Naraku's surprise, went through it. Naraku tried to dodge it, but the attack still tore of part of his arm. Naraku seethed and held his arm. It stung more than anything he had ever felt.

"What is this? That attack shouldn't have hurt me, much less gone through my barrier!" Kagome smirked.

"My power has increased, thanks to the training Sesshomaru gave me." Kagome smiled at Sesshomaru, then looked back at Naraku. "I'll defeat you! We all will!" Everyone else prepared for battle. Naraku laughed.

"One lucky strike isn't enough! There's no chance of you beating me!" Naraku held up his hand and released a bolt of lighting.

-End-

Hey! Sorry this chapter wasn't as long as usual, and I'm sorry it's been a while. My computer is malfunctioning again, darn it! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

I bet you guys didn't expect Hatori to be Midoriko! Ha ha! I've been planning that since he came into the story! Unfortunately, now he's gone. Oh well, that's how I made the story.

Next up is a battle with Naraku, but I'm not very good at writing about action or fights, so it might now be that good. But I'll try my best!

I have to go now, but I'll update A.S.A.P. Don't forget to review! I love reviews! Reviews inspire me! Please please please please review! Review review review review! Well, I have to go. Bye-bye!

P.S. Review!


	36. A Tragedy

Everyone dodged Naraku's attacks as he continued shooting bolts of lightning at them. Inuyasha used the Wind Scar, but Naraku's barrier went up and blocked it.

"It's time for me to show you my new trick." Naraku snapped his fingers and there was a bright flash of light. When the light died down, Naraku laughed. Everyone was trapped in glowing, red barriers that separated them from each other.

"Naraku! What kind of trick is this?!" Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga.

"I wouldn't do that." Inuyasha froze in his tracks. "This is my new attack. I've trapped each of you in separate barriers that knock you unconscious when you touch them." Inuyasha ignored him and raised Tetsusaiga again. The tip brushed against the barrier. Suddenly, Inuyasha screamed in pain as he was shocked.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome looked on as Inuyasha fell to the ground, unconscious. "Inuyasha! Are you okay?!" Kagome wanted to help him, but her barrier prevented that.

"I warned you. It's impossible to escape, and now I can kill you one by one, starting with Inuyasha." Naraku descended and walked up to Inuyasha's barrier. Kagome growled.

"Leave him alone, Naraku." Naraku looked at Kagome.

"I thought you loved Sesshomaru. Why are you defending Inuyasha?" Kagome growled again.

"He's still my friend! Leave him alone!" Naraku laughed again and turned back to Inuyasha. Kagome raised Junsei, careful not to touch the barrier, and concentrated. A red aura surrounded her. The aura began to grow, like a bubble, until it was inches away from the barrier.

"Sekisho shou!" The aura shrunk back into Kagome and suddenly shot outward. There was a huge explosion. Dirt and smoke were everywhere. When it cleared, Naraku's eyes went wide.

Kagome was free from the barrier, holding her sword and ready to battle. "I won't let you hurt Inuyasha or any of my other friends."

"Kagome, you could have been hurt." Kagome looked back at Sesshomaru, who had a worried expression on his face.

"I didn't know what else to do. All I could think of was to try and break the barrier down." Kagome turned back to Naraku. "You'll pay for trying to hurt Inuyasha." Kagome raised her sword. Naraku quickly flew into the air and put up his barrier.

"But how?! That attack was guaranteed to hold you all in place!" Kagome smiled.

"I already told you, I've been training." Naraku scowled.

Sesshomaru decided to do the same as Kagome and break out. He knelt down and concentrated his energy into Tokijin. His sword glowed with power, and Sesshomaru released it. A blast of blue energy hit the barrier. The barrier held for a second before breaking down. Sesshomaru leaped to Kagome's side.

"Kagome, you must free the others. I will handle Naraku for now." Kagome nodded and ran to Sango's barrier. She focused and tried to break down the barrier.

While she was freeing their friends, Sesshomaru faced Naraku for battle.

"Your mate may have broken my barrier, but none of you will ever defeat me!" Sesshomaru growled.

"Aren't you tired of saying that? Dragon Strike!" A blue blast came out of Sesshomaru's sword and headed for Naraku. Naraku flew up into his barrier to dodge the attack. The energy blast hit his barrier and swirled around it, but it faded, and Naraku was left unharmed.

Sesshomaru growled. He looked back at Kagome, who had freed Sango and was now freeing Kirara so Sango could help.

"Thank you, Kagome. Kirara, let's go!" Sango jumped onto Kirara and flew into the air. "Hiraikotsu!" She threw her boomerang, but to no avail. It bounced off Naraku's barrier.

As Kagome freed Miroku, she jumped into battle, ready to help. Naraku scowled at her.

"You'll be the first to die!" Naraku blasted a beam of energy at her, but before she could do anything, Sesshomaru jumped in front of her and countered the attack with his Dargon Strike. The two attacks hit and exploded.

"Sesshomaru, I can handle myself." Sesshomaru growled.

"That may be, but I am obligated to protect you. I don't know what I would do if you were hurt."

Kagome stepped out from behind Sesshomaru and smiled at him.

"Don't worry." She raised her sword and closed her eyes. "Herutsu Strike!" Naraku flew aside and dodged.

"Try something new!" A tentacle came out from Naraku's back and went through his barrier towards Kagome. She jumped and cut it with Junsei. The tentacle fragment fell to the ground and started squirming. Kagome kicked it aside. Naraku did it again with three more tentacles. Everyone avoided and tried to kill them, but more tentacles kept coming.

Kagome watched carefully as the tentacles came at them. She noticed that the new ones came out from where the old ones had been cut off. She stopped and began concentrating. Her hands started glowing with a green aura, and she put Junsei back at her hip. She lifted her hands above her head and whispered something uner her breath.

Sesshomaru noticed Kagome and saw a tentacle coming for her. He flew in front of it and sliced it in half. Kagome continued concentrating. The aura around her hands became brighter.

Suddenly, a tentacle grabbed Sango off Kirara and started squeezing her.

"Sango!" Miroku threw a purification talisman at the tentacle, but it fell off, and the tentacle kept its grip on Sango.

"Haburi Blast!" A green blast shot from Kagome's hand and struck the tentacle that had Sango. The tentacle dissolved and Sango fell. Miroku caught her and laid her on the ground. She had gone unconscious from lack of air.

The green blast continued shooting all of Naraku tentacles until they had all dissolved. Naraku smiled and tried to bring out more, but it didn't work.

"Cutting them didn't work, so I purified them to make sure you couldn't make more." Naraku growled.

"No matter. I have other attacks." Kagome pulled Junsei from her hip and took a battle stance. Sesshomaru stood next to her. Kagome noticed Miroku, with Sango lying next to him.

"Is she okay?" Miroku looked briefly at Kagome and turned his attention back to Sango.

"She went unconscious. The tentacle nearly suffocated her." Kagome ran up to him and knelt down.

"I'm not sure if I can help her, but this will protect you until she feels better." Kagome stood and placed a barrier over them.

Naraku took his chance and sent a blast of energy at Kagome. Sesshomaru blocked it with his Dragon Strike. The attacks collided and made another explosion. Kagome quickly took a battle stance. Sesshomaru used his Dragon Strike again. Naraku's barrier easily blocked it.

"Honestly, you two have to use new attacks." Kirara flew at Naraku and hit his barrier. Lightning flew from the barrier and shocked her.

"Kirara!" Kagome watched as the cat youkai fell and transformed into her small form. Kagome knelt beside her and stroked her fur. "Kirara, are you okay?" Kirara gave a small mew. Kagome hugged the kitten. She stood and put Kirara in the barrier with Miroku and Sango. Miroku put her in his lap.

"Thank you, Kagome." Kagome went back to battle. _This is bad. Sesshomaru and I are the only ones left. _Miroku was protecting Sango and Kirara, and Kagome had left the unconscious Inuyasha in Naraku's barrier in hopes that he wouldn't be hurt further.

"I see it's down to you two. I can't wait to kill you." Naraku laughed as he sent a wave of strange, metal spikes flying at them. Kagome and Sesshomaru dodged, but Naraku kept sending them. Soon, the entire ground was covered in them. Sesshomaru and Kagome were far apart now, and there was no way to move without stepping on a spike.

"Naraku, there has to be a catch about these spikes. What do they do?" Naraku looked at Kagome and chuckled.

"Very perceptive of you. These spikes happen to explode if you so much as brush against one." Kagome flinched. They were like land mines. If one exploded, the rest would explode too. She tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind.

Up until now, she had attacked just by thinking about what she wanted to do, and she would suddenly have an attack to do that. But if she did anything, all of the spikes would explode and hurt everyone. With the explosions, she would lose her concentration on the barrier protecting her friends, and Naraku would probably bring down the barrier around Inuyasha. It would hurt everyone.

"Darn it . . . I need to think of something." Kagome bit her lip. Sesshomaru couldn't help but notice her distress. He tried to think of a plan, but, like Kagome, nothing came to mind.

As they stood there, Naraku was laughing at them. They couldn't escape. _Their demise will be soon, and I will finally be able to complete the jewel. _

"Now you will die!" Naraku sent an energy blast at Kagome. The blast changed into the shape of a dragon. Kagome quickly responded.

"Heratsu Strike!" The attack flew at the dragon, but her attack was enveloped into Naraku's dragon blast until it was gone, and the attack kept coming for her.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru jumped in front of Kagome to defend her.

For the next few seconds, everything was a blur.

Sesshomaru had stepped on a spike while trying to protect Kagome, causing all of them to explode. He had quickly put up a barrier to protect her. Naraku's dragon attack was caught in the explosions and destroyed, but Sesshomaru was also caught in the explosions.

Kagome opened her eyes, after closing them from fear, and looked around. The spikes had all exploded and were gone. She gasped as she saw Miroku, Sango, and Kirara on the ground, without the barrier around them. They were all unconscious, and bleeding severely.

Kagome ran over to them, but stopped short when she saw Inuyasha. Naraku's barrier was gone, and he was also bleeding. Kagome panicked when she realized that Sesshomaru had tried to protect her. _I hope he's okay!_ She looked around, but she didn't see him. Kagome ran around the battlefield, looking for him. She noticed something white on the far side of the area. She ran over and gasped.

It was Sesshomaru. He was on the ground, unconscious, and covered in blood. His armor was gone, and his shirt was torn apart. There were severe wounds all over his chest, arms, and legs. There were cuts on his face, and his Mokomoko was stained with blood. She knelt next to him and gently shook his shoulder.

"Sesshomaru?" He didn't respond. "Sesshomaru?" Kagome put her head on his chest. She listened carefully for his heartbeat, but she couldn't hear it. She sat up and put her hand in front of his nose, hoping to feel the air coming out, but she didn't feel anything. He wasn't breathing.

"Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru, wake up! Please!" Kagome roughly shook him, but it was no use. "You better not be dead! I swear to God, if you're dead, then . . ." Her vision blurred as tears spilled from her eyes. "Don't die!"

Kagome started sobbing. An idea suddenly popped into her head. She reached over and grabbed Tensaiga from his hip. She stood and pulled it from its sheath. "Please, don't die." Kagome raised the sword and swung it. She waited, but nothing happened. She tried again, but Sesshomaru remained still. "No!" Kagome swung Tensaiga again and again, but it didn't work.

"It's no use." Kagome froze and looked over her shoulder. Naraku was standing behind her. She dropped Tensaiga and grabbed Junsei.

"You monster! You killed him! You killed Sesshomaru!" Tears spilled down her cheeks. Naraku smiled.

"Don't worry, Kagome. You won't be apart for long. You will soon join him in the underworld." Naraku raised his hand to attack. Kagome growled.

"You'll pay for this! Aikou Shuurai!" A purple lightning bolt came out from Junsei. Naraku used his barrier to fly away and dodge it, but the lightning bolt changed direction and headed straight for Naraku.

Naraku tried dodging again, but the lightning bolt followed him. It gained speed and collided with Naraku's barrier. For a moment, the world turned white.

oOo

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and slowly sat up. He shook his head and tried to gather his thoughts. He remembered what he had done and immediately looked around to see if Kagome was all right. In the distance he saw Miroku and Sango.

Sesshomaru stood and began walking to them, but he stopped after a few steps. To his surprise, he didn't have a single mark on him, and his outfit was completely intact.

He wondered what had happened, and continued to Miroku and Sango. They looked at him as he walked up to them.

"Monk, Youkai Slayer, what happened?" They shrugged.

"The last thing I remember was being in Kagome's barrier and watching while you protected her from Naraku's attack." Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at Miroku. Sango looked around. She heard a quiet mew and saw Kirara, who looked as healthy as ever.

"Kirara, are you okay?" Sango picked her up and started stroking her.

"Monk, I thought the Youkai Slayer and the cat youkai were injured." Miroku turned to Sango.

"Sango, how do you feel?" Sango shrugged.

"I feel fine. It's odd . . . I remember being suffocated by that tentacle." Sesshomaru looked around for any sign of Kagome. He had put her in a barrier, which meant that she shouldn't be too hurt.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Sesshomaru sniffed the air and found her scent. He followed it across the battlefield, with Miroku and Sango close behind.

Inuyasha groaned and sat up. He looked around and saw Sesshomaru, Miroku, and Sango walking somewhere. Inuyasha stood and ran up to them.

"Hey, what happened?" Miroku looked at him.

"We aren't sure." Inuyasha was about to respond when he noticed that Kagome wasn't with them.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku sighed.

"We aren't sure." Inuyasha sniffed the air, and found that her scent was in the direction that they were going, but there was something different about it. Her scent didn't smell right.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru knelt on the ground. Everyone looked at him and gasped.

Kagome was lying on the ground, but she wasn't moving. She didn't appear to have any injuries, but Junsei was still her hand, glowing brightly.

Sesshomaru lifted her into his lap and took Junsei. "It was used for an intense attack recently." He set the sword aside and caressed Kagome. "Kagome?" He shook her shoulder, but she didn't respond. Sesshomaru could smell it in her scent, but he didn't want to believe it. "Kagome!" She remained still. There wasn't any sign of movement or breathing. Sesshomaru held her tightly.

Kagome was dead.

-End-

Hey! I'm sorry it's been a while, but I have a big project for school that I've been working on. I haven't been able to work on the story until now.

I apologize deeply!! Don't flame me!! I'm sorry that Kagome died!! I'm sorry, but it seemed like a good thing to make the story more intense. I'm sorry! Don't worry, there's more in store. The next chapter will be great, I promise!

I hope you liked this chapter! (Except for the end) Again, I'm terrible with battles, but I tried my best. In case you haven't noticed, all of Kagome's attacks are in Japanese. That's because I suck at coming up with good names. If you translate the attack names into English, it'll sound pretty lame. Oh well.

Again, I'm sorry about Kagome! Don't flame me, please! The next chapter will be great, and I'll try and update A.S.A.P.! Oh, and don't forget, review! please please please review! Review review review review! Please!

Okay, I have to go! Bye-Bye!


	37. The Tragedy Ends

A/N: Hey!! Woohoo!! Over 800 reviews! Yay! I couldn't celebrate last time because it was at 794 when I posted, but now I can celebrate!! Yay!! Thank you so much, and I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

Sesshomaru tried to keep from losing his composure as he looked at Kagome. She had died. She was gone from his life. Sesshomaru held her closer and kissed her forehead. _Why did the Flower of Fate bring us together if she was going to die?! _

"Hey, guys, where's Naraku?" Everyone turned to Inuyasha. For the first time, everyone focused on why they had come here in the first place. They looked around, but Naraku wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"I'll climb on Kirara and look." Kirara transformed and Sango climbed on. She flew around the air for a few minutes, and the others looked around on foot.

Sesshomaru stayed in place. He couldn't bear to move. Kagome was still in his arms.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru knew it was useless to try and wake her up. She was gone forever.

"I don't see him, but I think I found something else!" Everyone looked up at Sango, who was still in the air. "Follow me!" Miroku and Inuyasha ran after Sango, and Sesshomaru carefully stood, gently lifting Kagome in his arms. He followed the others, trying to suppress his feelings. He didn't want to lose control in front of the others.

When he reached them, Sesshomaru looked down to see a large crater. In the center of the crater, something was shining. Sango landed next to it and picked up the shining object. Her eyes went wide, and she quickly ran out of the crater to show everyone else.

"Sango, what is it?" Sango put her hand in front of Miroku. His eyes went wide. "The jewel!"

"What?! Let me see!" Inuyasha shoved Miroku aside and looked at Sango's hand. The jewel was sitting in her palm. "The jewel! But . . . then that means . . ." Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru. "Kagome must have killed Naraku, and killed herself with him." Sesshomaru looked down at her. She didn't look like she had any injuries, but her scent didn't lie. She had died destroying their enemy.

"Kagome . . . if only it hadn't happened this way." Sesshomaru had been looking forward to sharing his life with Kagome. He had wanted her to be happy. In his entire life, he had never been happier than when he was with Kagome. "Give it to me." Sango looked at Sesshomaru.

"Are you sure?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Give me Naraku's fragment of the jewel." Sango nodded and handed it to him. Miroku reached into his robe and pulled out a few pieces. He gave them to Sesshomaru as well.

"Sango and I managed to find these." Sesshomaru placed them in his robe with the jewel fragment he had taken from Kagome. "If Naraku is defeated . . . then I suppose we should be on our way." Miroku mounted Kirara, with Sango close behind.

"Wait." They looked back at Sesshomaru. "You were Kagome's friends. You may come to the castle with me to mourn her death and come to the funeral." Sango grabbed Miroku's sleeve.

"It would be rude if we didn't come." Miroku nodded.

"We'll come. Lead the way." Sesshomaru held Kagome tightly as he formed his youkai cloud and flew away. Miroku and Sango followed on Kirara, and Inuyasha ran behind them.

oOo

The entire castle residence was in shambles. The servants and nobles thought that The Lord of the West had finally found a mate. Kagome had been kind to all of them. She was sweet and pure of heart, and everyone was upset about her death.

Sesshomaru sat across from the bed he had placed Kagome on. He was in the mourning room, where royal family members who had died were placed for a short time while their family and friends mourned over them. In three days, Kagome's funeral would take place and, as tradition dictated, Sesshomaru would dig out her grave himself because he was her future mate.

His eyes were blank as he stared at her still form. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha had already mourned for a few hours and then gone to bed. Rin and Shippo were in their rooms, probably crying. They had started bawling as soon as they saw Sesshomaru bring Kagome back to camp.

Sesshomaru had refused to leave Kagome. He wanted to stay by her side as long as he could. As he watched her, he leaned against the wall, and let out his fury.

"Damn it!" Sesshomaru punched the wall behind him. "Why did she have to die?!" For the first time since he was a young pup, Sesshomaru allowed himself to cry. Tears spilled down his cheeks. "Why didn't Tensaiga work?!"

In the midst of the sorrow, no one had thought of using Tensaiga on Kagome until they had gotten back to Rin and Shippo at camp. Inuyasha had brought it up, and Sesshomaru had been quick to act. But it hadn't worked.

Sesshomaru had tried many times, but Kagome had remained still. After that, everyone but Sesshomaru had started to cry. Jaken had taken the kids back to castle on Ah-Un, and the others had gone back shortly after.

Sesshomaru pulled Tensaiga out of it's sheath. "Why didn't you bring her back?!" He stood and swiped the sword against Kagome again, but it failed. "Why?!" In all his life, Sesshomaru had never felt so many emotions at once. Anger, sorrow, frustration . . . he felt them all.

Sesshomaru threw Tensaiga across the room and knelt next to Kagome. He reached out and gently stroked her hair. "Kagome . . . I love you."

oOo

The next day was a blur. Sesshomaru refused to leave the mourning room, and all the nobles came in to pay their respects. Rin and Shippo had come in only to leave right away. Seeing Kagome like this was too much for either of them. Many of the nobles that came left flowers for Kagome. A servant would come in occasionally to ask Sesshomaru if he wanted anything to eat, or to take a bath, but he always said no. He wasn't going to leave her.

Sango quietly opened the door and came in. She saw Sesshomaru, still sitting in the same spot, watching Kagome. She knelt on the other side of Kagome and placed the bundle of roses she had brought next to her.

"I'm so sorry. Kagome . . . was like a sister to me. I know what it feels like to lose a loved one." Sango had known after Naraku died that Kohaku was probably dead as well. He hadn't shown up on the battlefield at all.

"Thank you for your concern. Kagome . . . was the first person I ever loved. I believed that we would share a future, but . . ." Sesshomaru quickly shook his head. It wasn't like him to pour out his emotions like this. Sango smiled.

"I'm going to go see the kids. I'm sorry about this. If there's anything that Miroku or I can do, just ask." Sango left, and the room was silent again. Sesshomaru sighed. _In two days, Kagome will be buried and gone forever. I will never see her smile again. She will not laugh at me or kiss me. I feel so pathetic. I was her future mate! I should have been able to protect her! __**Don't blame yourself. She gave her life to save you. She wouldn't want you moping around like this. **__I can't help but feel badly. _

Sesshomaru tried to hold them back, but his tears began flowing again. He had managed to hold them back in front of others, but whenever he was alone, they wouldn't stop. _I have never shed tears for another until now._

"Sesshomaru . . ." Sesshomaru's head shot up and he looked around. No one else was here. _Now I'm imagining things. I have to get a grip on myself. _

oOo

Kagome groaned and opened her eyes. She was lying down, and their was a ceiling above her. _What happened? Am I at the castle? _She sat up and looked around. Sesshomaru was sitting next to her, sleeping. He looked perfectly healthy.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome hugged him, but he didn't respond. "Sesshomaru? Wake up!" Kagome panicked. _Is he okay? _

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and looked around. He had thought he heard Kagome's voice, but she was still lying on the bed._ I must have dreamed it. I can't allow myself to fall asleep again. _

Kagome smiled when she saw Sesshomaru wake up, but he didn't even notice her. "Sesshomaru? It's me." She saw Sesshomaru turn his head and looked where he was looking. She gasped. She saw herself, lying still on a bed. "Is that me?"

Kagome stood and looked at the body. It was herself, but it was lifeless. _Does . . . does this mean I'm . . . dead? _Kagome looked at her hands. They were transparent. Kagome's eyes went wide. _I'm a ghost! I died! Was this because I killed Naraku? Did I kill myself too? _Kagome looked at Sesshomaru. His eyes were swollen and red. He had been crying. "But . . . he wouldn't cry unless . . . unless I really was dead."

"You aren't dead." Kagome's head whipped around to see Naraku standing by the door.

"Naraku?! I thought I killed you! What are you doing here?!" Naraku laughed.

"You did kill me. Look closely, I'm a ghost as well." Kagome looked closer. He was right. Naraku appeared to be transparent.

"How could you be a ghost? I assumed you'd go straight to Hell." Naraku laughed again.

"A soul becomes a ghost when they either don't except their death, or they still have something to do in the land of the living. Or, I suppose in your case, if they didn't die in the first place." Kagome shook her head. She was confused.

"What do you mean I didn't die?"

"I am a ghost because I didn't except my death, and you are a ghost because you didn't die, bur your soul thinks you did. I'll explain it. You have apparently become powerful enough that your powers are able to save your life. When a miko is powerful enough, and she uses up too much power, her body shuts down in order to regain energy, and she sustains life by using her miko energy to keep her body alive.

"When you killed me, you used up too much power, and your body shut down to regain that power. You would've died if you had taken a single step while you were that weak. Your body is trying to regain the power it lost while using some of the miko energy it has left to stay alive. It's a defense mechanism. But this backfires for the few miko who are powerful enough to use this technique. While the body is shut down, the soul thinks that the body has died, and leaves the body, and without a soul, the body can't live, and the miko ends up dying while she was trying to preserve her life." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, and back at Naraku.

"Why are you telling me this?" Naraku chuckled.

"Can't I help someone without being asked why?"

"No." Naraku looked at Sesshomaru.

"I have had some satisfaction in watching Sesshomaru and all of your friends suffer. That is all I need. If you don't go back in your body soon, you will die." Kagome was suspicious, but she wanted to be with Sesshomaru again.

"Will I wake up?"

"I assume that you have not regained your strength, and your body will probably remain still for a while. You give off the appearance and scent of a dead person, so I think you should wake up before you are buried." Kagome glared at him.

"You're doing this because you think I'll end up being buried alive, aren't you?" Naraku smiled.

"Your body will take a lot of time to recover. I would enjoy it even more if you were buried alive because they thought you were dead rather than dying and being buried." Naraku laughed once more, and suddenly faded.

Kagome knelt next to Sesshomaru. _I might not wake up before they start a funeral for me, but I'll take that chance if it means I can be with Sesshomaru again. _Kagome stood and looked at her body. _Please let me be able to see Sesshomaru again. _

oOo

Sesshomaru looked out of the window in the room. It was close to midnight. Kagome's funeral was tomorrow, and he had tried using Tensaiga many times, but it never worked.

Sesshomaru had only fallen alseep once, and had watched Kagome the rest of the time. It had been three days, but, to Sesshomaru's surprise, she looked almost as if she was still alive. But he knew she wasn't.

He looked at her still form and took her hand. He gently kissed it. His eyes went wide. Her hand was warm, not cold like it should have been. He set her hand down and looked at her carefully. Her scent still smelled the same, and she didn't appear to be breathing. Sesshomaru sighed and leaned back against the wall. _It was too much to hope for. _He closed his eyes, and he soon fell alseep.

oOo

Sesshomaru looked around. He was standing in his bedroom, but he didn't remember coming in.

"Sesshomaru." He turned around to see Kagome. She was wearing a beautiful red and white kimono with orange cranes on it.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru rushed over and hugged her. "How are you alive?" Kagome pulled away.

"Listen to me. Don't bury me tomorrow. Cancel the funeral. I'm not dead." Sesshomaru cupped his hand around her cheek.

"How? You looked like you were dead. Your scent told me you were dead. How can you be talking to me? Is this a dream?" Kagome leaned up and kissed him.

"I'm not dead. Stop the funeral." Sesshomaru tried to kiss her, but she moved away. "Stop the funeral."

"Why won't you say anything else?"

"I'm not dead!"

oOo

Sesshomaru bolted up and looked around. He was in the mourning room, and Kagome was lying on the bed. He sighed. It had been a dream. _She told me not to give her a proper burial. What did she mean? _

He looked at Kagome. _It was only a dream. The funeral will go on as planned. _Sesshomaru had a bad feeling about this, but he knew Kagome was dead. He couldn't believe a dream.

He looked out the window and saw that it was morning. Kagome's funeral was set to take place today, but Sesshomaru was going to choose the time.

He gazed at Kagome longingly. He quickly shook his head. _The funeral will take place, and things will go on as normal. That is final. _Sesshomaru stood and left the room to tell the others that the funeral would take place soon.

oOo

After he told everyone, Sesshomaru came back to the mourning room with Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and the kids. The nobles and servants were waiting outside in the garden. Kagome was going to be buried underneath a sakura tree.

Sesshomaru gently picked up Kagome and proceeded down the halls of the castle. Everyone else followed quietly behind. There was an air of sorrow throughout the castle.

Earlier, Sesshomaru had picked a kimono that looked just like the one from the dream and dressed Kagome in it. He had managed to convince himself completely that Kagome was dead.

They came to the tree where Kagome was going to be buried. The nobles and servants moved aside. Sesshomaru gently placed Kagome on the ground. It was cold out, for fall was upon them, and the dry leaves crunched beneath the wieght of Kagome's body.

Sesshomaru tried to hold back his tears as he knelt down and started to dig Kagome's grave. A wooden coffin had been prepared for her, and it was carved with the symbol that was on Kagome's petal from the Flower of Fate, the large crescent moon with the smaller moon next to it.

Once he was satisfied with the depth of the grave, Sesshomaru picked Kagome back up. He stood over the coffin. Inuyasha hesitated, but opened it for him. Sesshomaru looked at Kagome's face.

"Kagome, I love you." He kissed her forehead, and was about to place her in the coffin when he felt an irritating sting on his cheek, which was caused by a hand that had slapped him. There was only one person daring enough to slap him and know they wouldn't get in trouble.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome to see her eyes open, and glaring at him. Her hand was on his face where she had slapped him.

"If you love me, then why didn't you stop the funeral like I told you to?" Sesshomaru couldn't believe it.

"Kagome . . . am I dreaming again?" He received another slap.

"If you were dreaming, would you feel that?" Sesshomaru couldn't believe it. Everyone around them stared.

"Kagome . . . you're . . . alive." Sesshomaru kissed Kagome roughly and passionately. She jumped, but quickly returned the kiss. Sesshomaru could feel her sweet lips on his. He wasn't dreaming. Kagome broke the kiss and smiled.

"It's nice to see you again." Sesshomaru put her down so she was standing and looked at her. She was alive.

"How . . .? I thought . . ." Kagome slapped him again.

"You jerk! You were about to bury me alive!" Sesshomaru touched his cheek and glared at her. He grabbed her and pulled her close.

"I thought you were dead! What happened?!" Kagome sighed and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's a long story. Could I explain inside?" Sesshomaru pulled her back and kissed her.

"Yes, so long as you don't slap me again." Kagome smiled.

oOo

Kagome, Sesshomaru, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and the kids all sat in Sesshomaru's office, unable to believe her.

"So, you only looked dead, but you were actually trying to stay alive?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha and nodded.

"Yeah. I needed to regain my energy. I would have died because my soul tried to leave my body because it thought I was dead, but then I was told what had happened." Sesshomaru took her hand.

"By who?" Kagome sighed.

"Naraku's ghost." They stared at her. "I'm serious. He became a ghost and told my soul what had happened because he thought I wouldn't regain my energy in time and would be buried alive. Luckily, I woke up before I was put in a coffin." She gave Sesshomaru a look.

"I thought you had died. How did you reach me in a dream if you were regaining your energy?" Kagome smiled.

"I wanted to tell you, so my soul left my body for a few minutes to tell you not to bury me." Sesshomaru squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry. I almost killed you by my own hand." Kagome kissed his cheek.

"I know you only meant to give me a proper burial. Don't worry." Sesshomaru realized something.

"Tensaiga didn't work because you weren't really dead. I understand now." Kagome looked around at all of her friends.

"Everyone, I'm sorry I worried you. I never meant for this to happen." Sango smiled.

"Kagome, we're just glad you're alive." Kagome smiled. Sesshomaru reached into his shirt and pulled out something.

"Here." Kagome looked at his hand and gasped. He was holding Naraku's part of the jewel, along with a few shards. Kagome took them and observed them.

"Sango, what about Kohaku?" Sango's face fell.

"I'm not sure where he is." Kagome looked at the shards in her hand. She placed her other hand on top of them.

"Wait a minute." Kagome concentrated, and a pink light emanated from her hand. It glowed for a few seconds, and died down.

Kagome pulled her top hand off. In her hand lay an almost completed jewel. "There are still a few pieces missing. We have to get Koga's pieces, and I think Kohaku still has his shard, which means he's still alive." Sango's face brightened slightly.

Sesshomaru kissed Kagome's forehead.

"We will obtain the rest of the shards soon. Kagome, from now on, I will protect you. I love you." Kagome smiled.

"I love you too, Sesshomaru."

-End-

Hey! I hope you guys liked this chapter! Yay! Over 800 reviews!! Thank you thank you thank you!!

As promised, I made this chapter extra long. Kagome's alive! Yay! It took me awhile, but I finally came up with a way to bring her back! (Although she wasn't really dead).

Soon our characters will continue their journey for the rest of the shards, and (maybe) Sesshomaru will try to continue the fourth step.

Well, I have to go. I hope you liked this chapter! Please review! Go on! Hit the button! Review review review! Please review! I have to go! I'll try and update soon! Bye-bye! Review!


	38. Parent Approval

Sesshomaru walked up to Kagome. She was sitting in the garden under a sakura tree. He sat next to her and held her hand.

"How are you feeling?" Kagome sighed.

"Not too good. I had enough energy to wake up, but not enough to be very active. Even walking tires me out. Finding the rest of the shards will have to wait." Sesshomaru pulled her into his lap.

"We will wait as long as possible. Your friends are staying here, and they will come with us when we leave. For now, you must rest." Kagome leaned against Sesshomaru.

"Thank you. You're so kind, always looking out for me. I feel a little spoiled."

"You are not spoiled. If anything, you deserve everything you want and more." Kagome looked out at Shippo and Rin, who were playing on the other side of the garden, just barely in her sight. It was hard to tell what they were doing.

"I already have what I want. My friends, son, and my love are all with me. What more could I ask for?" Sesshomaru put a hand on her stomach.

"Pups." Kagome blushed. She put her hand over Sesshomaru's. She had always imagined what it would be like to be pregnant and have pups, but until recently, she had never thought of Sesshomaru as the father. Now that view had changed.

"Don't even try anything. We're not done with the mating ritual yet. Which reminds me, could you tell me what the next step is?" Kagome looked up at him hopefully. Sesshomaru shook his head.

"You needn't concern yourself with that now. Besides, I am not done with the fourth step yet." Kagome blushed again.

Shippo ran over to them, pulling Rin close behind.

"Mama! Mama! We have something to show you!" Kagome looked up at the kids. They stopped and panted.

"What is it?" Shippo stood up straight and smiled.

"Watch this! Transform!" There was a huge puff of smoke, and Kagome's eyes went wide.

Shippo had transformed himself and Rin to look the same age as Kagome. Shippo had a strong, muscular look, and Rin was astonishingly beautiful.

Kagome smiled and clapped.

"That's very good, Shippo. You've been practicing." There was another puff of smoke, and Shippo and Rin were back to normal. "Any other new tricks?" Shippo looked at Rin and grinned.

"Transform!" As the smoke cleared, Kagome gasped. This time, Shippo and Rin had transformed into something Kagome would never have expected.

They appeared to be the same age and height, but Rin and Shippo now looked like two Inu youkai pups. Shippo's hair was shoulder-length, and white, and he had a crescent moon on his forehead. Rin's hair remained black, but there were white streaks in it, and she had magenta stripes on her face.

Kagome could only stare. They looked like Inu youkai pups, and Kagome knew who the parents were supposed to be. Rin and Shippo were imitating what her children would look like.

Sesshomaru saw Kagome's expression and tightened his grip on her.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome wiped her face, but she couldn't stop the tears from coming. She tried to smile at Rin and Shippo.

"Thank you . . . that's a very good transformation." There was another puff of smoke, and they turned back to normal. Shippo ran up to Kagome.

"Mama, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!" Kagome wiped her face again.

"No, it's okay. I'm crying because . . . it was such a sweet gesture."

"I didn't mean to make you upset, Mama. Rin and I wanted to try and show you what we thought your kids would look like. I'm sorry." Kagome stroked his head.

"Thank you." Sesshomaru kissed Kagome's cheek.

"Do not cry, Kagome." Kagome turned to him and smiled.

"They're just tears of appreciation. Don't worry." Sesshomaru looked at Shippo and Rin. They understood, and left the garden. "Sesshomaru, they didn't have to leave." Sesshomaru pulled her hair away from her face.

"I wanted to be alone. By the way, I believe your hair if growing longer." Kagome gave him a curious look and pulled her hair in front of her. To her surprise, Sesshomaru was right. Her hair was at least two or three inches longer than she remembered.

"That's odd. My hair never grew this fast before." Sesshomaru smiled.

"You are becoming more like a youkai. Inu youkai tend to have longer hair than humans." Kagome looked at her hair, and back at him.

"I was going to ask you that. I know I'm a youkai, but how can you be sure I'm an Inu youkai?" Sesshomaru sniffed her hair.

"Your scent is one clue. You also have most of the abilities an Inu youkai would have, and it would only make sense if you were an Inu youkai, because I am your mate."

"Not yet, you're not." Sesshomaru sniffed the air to make sure no one was nearby, and took Kagome's lips in a passionate kiss. When he released her, Kagome smiled. Sesshomaru cupped his hand around her face.

"For now, rest. I have work that I need to finish. My guards are posted around the garden, and they will protect you if anything happens. If you need anything, just call me." Sesshomaru moved Kagome and stood. Kagome watched him leap out of the garden, headed to his study.

Kagome couldn't help but feel disappointed that Sesshomaru couldn't stay, but she understood. As the minutes passed, Kagome found herself wondering what life would be like after the mating ritual was finally over.

_After the mating ritual, I'll be Lady of the West. It seems like such an honor, but I bet it's a lot of work and stress to take care of an entire land. I wonder how Sesshomaru manages to do it by himself. __**He's awesome! That's how he does it! And soon he'll be all ours! **__Be quiet! I don't need to think about those kinds of things. _

Kagome shivered as a breeze blew through the garden. It was almost winter, and it would be snowing soon. Sesshomaru had warned her earlier about going into the garden, but Kagome had ignored him. Now she thought it would be better to go inside.

Kagome stood and went inside the castle. She had to walk slower than she normally would because her energy was still very low. Kagome wandered around for a while, and decided to eat something. She found her way to the kitchen and looked around.

The room was empty, except for a few servants cleaning up. Lunch had been over an hour ago, but with so many people at the castle, it took a long time to clean up and prepare the food for the next meal.

Kagome spotted Koneko ordering a few other servants around. She saw Kagome and bowed.

"Lady Kagome, what brings you here? Is there a request you would like to make for dinner?" Kagome smiled.

"Koneko, please, just call me Kagome." Koneko smiled back. Kagome looked around again.

"I've never been in the kitchen, just the dining room. It seems so busy." Servants were running around like crazy, trying to make sure everything would be ready for dinner.

"Yes, it takes some time to prepare for dinner, and we try to make sure the meal is perfect." Kagome wandered around, and turned back to Koneko.

"I don't have any preferences for dinner, but I was hoping to eat something now. I'm sure you heard about what happened, and it left me feeling weak. Do you have anything I could eat now, like fruit?" Koneko nodded and left. When she came back, she was holding a plate of fruit and rice balls.

"Here you are. Eat anything you like." Kagome smiled and started eating a rice ball. Koneko set the plate on a nearby counter. Kagome smiled as she ate.

"Give my compliments to the chef. This is delicious." Koneko giggled.

"The chef would be me. Although I am a higher ranked servant, and often tell the others what to do, I also enjoy making things like rice balls."

"Thank you, Koneko. Now I feel better. I'll be seeing you." Kagome waved and left the kitchen. She continued down the halls of the castle, bored. There wasn't much to do. Kagome saw a window and looked out to see that dark clouds had formed outside. It was going to rain.

Kagome smiled. She loved the rain. It was fun to play in, and it showered everything in a sheen of water, making it look beautiful afterward. It hadn't rained in a long time.

"Kagome, are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting?" Kagome turned to see Sango. She smiled.

"I'm fine, Sango. Don't worry." Kirara, who was on Sango's shoulder, descended and rubbed against Kagome's leg. Sango stood next to her and looked out the window.

"I'm just worried about you. You scared us badly when we thought you were dead." Kagome picked up Kirara and began petting her.

"Don't worry, Sango. I promise that nothing will happen to me. At least, not on Sesshomaru's watch." Kagome laughed, but Sango gave her a confused look.

"What's a watch?" Kagome couldn't help laughing even harder.

"I'm sorry, it's something from my time. Nevermind." Sango stared at her, but shrugged.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" Kagome nodded.

"I'm still tired, but I should be okay once I rest. After that, we can look for shards, and see if Kohaku is around." Sango stiffened. Just mentioning her brother's name made her feel sad. Kirara jumped from Kagome's arms and onto Sango's shoulder. She licked her face, and Sango smiled.

"Thank you, Kagome. It makes me feel a little better knowing that you'll help me." Kagome sniffed the air. Miroku was coming.

"I think I'm going to take a nap in my room." Kagome left, passing Miroku in the hallway. She winked at him and pointed to Sango. Miroku nodded and went over to her. Kagome walked back to her bedroom. She was about to open the door, but she stopped. _I wonder . . . if we're going to be mates, would Sesshomaru mind if I slept in his room? _Sesshomaru had already slept in her bed with her before. Kagome paused, and went to Sesshomaru's room.

Cautiously, Kagome opened the door. He wasn't in the room, but his scent was all over. Kagome enjoyed the smell. She pulled back the covers on the bed. His bed seemed more comfortable than hers, but Kagome couldn't tell why. She climbed in and curled up. It was warm. It was only a matter of minutes before Kagome fell asleep.

oOo

Sesshomaru put his pen down. He had been working in his study for a few hours, and dinner would be ready soon. He sniffed the air to find Kagome's scent, and found that she was closer than he thought. He stood and left his study, following Kagome's scent. He followed it to his bedroom. _My bedroom? Why would she be here? _Sesshomaru opened the door and looked in.

Kagome was asleep on the bed. She looked peaceful, like an angel. As he stepped inside and sat next to the bed, Sesshomaru wondered why she had slept in his room instead of hers. _**Maybe she wanted to feel closer to you without disrupting your work. **__I suppose that may be it. _Sesshomaru cupped her face. Awake or sleeping, she was beautiful. Sesshomaru felt some pride that she was going to be his mate.

Kagome groaned. Sesshomaru pulled back, but Kagome only turned around and continued sleeping. Sesshomaru stood and opened the door. Looking back at Kagome once more, he closed the door and went to dinner.

oOo

Sesshomaru was starting to worry. Dinner was over, it was late, and Kagome was still alseep. He hoped she was all right.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru didn't want to wake her, but he wanted to make sure she was okay. "Kagome? Wake up." He gently shook her shoulder. Kagome moaned.

"Five more minutes, Mom." Sesshomaru shook her again. Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around, slowly waking up. She saw Sesshomaru and gasped. "Oh, Sesshomaru, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have come in your room without permission!" Kagome scrambled out of his bed, but Sesshomaru took her hand and pulled her close.

"It's fine. I realize that you're tired. Besides, we will be sharing the same bed soon anyway." Kagome blushed.

"Still, I should have asked." Sesshomaru picked her up and laid her back in bed. Removing his armor, he climbed in bed with her and held her close.

"For now, we will skip on your training. You're too weak." Kagome snuggled into him.

"As soon as I feel better, we're leaving to find the shards, and starting up the training again." Sesshomaru started to stroke her hair.

"As you wish."

oOo

After four days at the castle, Kagome was feeling better. She could walk and run without feeling tired, and she had even managed to use her whip of light, despite Sesshomaru's advice to take it easy.

Kagome had insisted that morning that they leave to look for the shards, and at first Sesshomaru had refused, but she pleaded, and eventually, he agreed.

It was past lunch, and everyone was almost done packing. Kagome had her backpack ready, but she still hadn't stopped at her house to get more supplies yet. Sesshomaru agreed that she could go home, but he was coming with her, and Ah-Un was carrying her backpack.

Kagome stood outside with Sesshomaru, ready to leave. Ah-Un was next to them, with Rin and Shippo on his back, along with Kagome's backpack.

"I can carry it. I don't need to be treated like a baby." Sesshomaru gave Kagome a stern look.

"I will not let you strain yourself. You're lucky I am allowing you to look for shards. I would have preferred that you at least stay at the castle for a few more days." Kagome sighed.

"I'm fine. I can carry my backpack. I don't want Ah-Un to have to carry it."

"Ah-Un can carry ten times his weight. He will be fine." Kagome sighed again. Sesshomaru smirked and grabbed her hand, but Kagome pulled away.

"Not unless you let me be responsible for my things. I feel bad that Ah-Un has to carry it."

"Ah-Un will be carrying you as well." Kagome gasped.

"Sesshomaru, I can walk!" Sesshomaru picked her up and leaned in close to her face.

"Kagome, I do not want to take chances. I will protect you with my life and make sure you are as safe as possible while you are still weak. Until I am sure that your power is back to normal, you will ride on Ah-Un, unless you would prefer that I carry you the whole way." Kagome blushed.

"Sesshomaru, please, at least let me walk. It makes me feel too weak if I have to be carried." Sesshomaru paused, and put her down. Kagome smiled. "Thank you. I promise I'll be careful." After a few minutes, Kagome looked back up at him. "Can I carry my bag, too?" Sesshomaru looked away.

"No." Kagome sighed and waited for the others. She had changed into a blue long-sleeved shirt and slacks for the trip, and she had a sweater in her bag.

Sango and Miroku came out after a few minutes. Kirara was perched on Sango's shoulder, as usual. Kagome smiled and waved.

"Kagome, are you sure you can do this?" Kagome gave Sango a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Have you seen Inuyasha?" Kagome sniffed, but his scent wasn't nearby.

"No, I haven't seen him since yesterday. I hope he knows we're leaving today." Jaken scrambled out of the castle.

"I'm sorry I'm late, My lord!" Jaken ran up and grabbed Ah-Un's reins. Everyone was ready, but Inuyasha still wasn't there. They waited for a few minutes, but he didn't show up.

"Maybe we should look for him." Kagome took a step forward, but Sesshomaru held her back.

"He's coming." Kagome sniffed the air. Inuyasha's scent was coming toward them. After a few seconds, she could see him running to them. Inuyasha came up to them and panted.

"Hey, Kagome, I'm sorry that I'm late. Let's go." Kagome smiled at him.

"Where were you?" Inuyasha looked away.

"Don't worry about it." Sesshomaru pulled Kagome close to him. He didn't like the way Inuyasha was acting friendly with Kagome.

"We should be going." Kagome nodded, agreeing with Sesshomaru. Although she could walk, Sesshomaru insisted that Kagome stay by his side in case she needed anything. After a few minutes, everyone was ready. They had decided to fly to the Bone Eater's Well first, so Kagome could gather the supplies she needed.

Rin, Shippo, and Jaken were flying on Ah-Un. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha were riding on Kirara, and Sesshomaru was carrying Kagome on his youkai cloud.

As they set off, Inuyasha suddenly began shifting nervously. Kagome saw what he was doing and looked back.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" Inuyasha nodded, but kept glancing back at the ground. Kagome watched him for a minute, but decided that he was fine. She looked up at Sesshomaru. "How long?" Sesshomaru looked down at her briefly before looking back at the sky.

"Only a few minutes. It isn't very far, and flying speeds up travel." Kagome noticed something strange, and felt his cheek.

"Sesshomaru . . . something is on your face." Sesshomaru placed his hand on Kagome's.

"What is it?" Kagome tilted her head.

"I don't know . . . it's not visible, but I know something is there. I guess I shouldn't worry." Kagome pulled her hand away. Sesshomaru felt his face, but it didn't seem like anything was there. _I wonder . . . no, that couldn't be. It wouldn't appear. Not yet. _

They continued on for a while. Kagome tried to make conversation with Sesshomaru, but he had to focus on where he was flying, and everyone else seemed preoccupied with the people they were flying with.

It wasn't long before Keade's village and the well came into view. Kagome smiled at the familiar sight. It had been a while since she had seen the well. Sesshomaru descended and landed next to the well.

"I will come with you to your home." Kagome sighed. She knew that Sesshomaru wanted to come.

"All right, but you'll have to hold on to the jewel." Kagome reached into her shirt and pulled it out. The others landed next to them. Sesshomaru nodded and took the jewel. He grasped her hand, prepared to jump in. Kagome looked at the others. "We'll be back soon. Don't worry. If we're gone for too long, Inuyasha can come in and check on us." Inuyasha nodded.

"Sesshomaru, don't destroy the place." Sesshomaru growled, and Kagome put her foot on the edge. Before she could jump in, Sesshomaru grabbed her and leaped in.

oOo

Kagome panted when Sesshomaru let her go.

"Did you need to grab me?" Sesshomaru placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right? I didn't mean to harm you." Kagome smiled.

"It's fine. Let's go." Sesshomaru picked her up and leaped out. Kagome squirmed out of his arms, and left the shrine, Sesshomaru following close.

Kagome cringed. She had forgotten about her sensitive smell, and the polution of her world. It was almost worse than Naraku's scent. She shook her head and headed for the house.

Opening the door, she peeked inside. She could smell her mother in the kitchen, and Grandpa and Souta were out back. Kagome walked in and quietly stepped into the kitchen, Sesshomaru still close to her. "Mom?" Hiromi turned and smiled when she saw Kagome. Sesshomaru was hidden just outside the door.

"Kagome! Are you all right?! I never found out what happened!" Hiromi hugged her daughter tightly. Kagome didn't know what she was talking about, until she remembered what had happened last time. Kagome had fought with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, and had gone back without explaining it to her mother. Kagome suddenly realized that this meant her mother still thought that Sesshomaru was being cruel to her.

Kagome pulled her mother away and smiled.

"It's good to see you, Mom. Last time I was here . . . something happened, but I fixed it. Everything is okay now. I came back to get some supplies." Hiromi looked worried. "Mom?"

"Is that man still bothering you?" Kagome sighed.

"No . . . actually, we like each other a lot now. Sesshomaru, come here." Sesshomaru entered the kitchen. Hiromi tried to smile, but she was still wary.

"Welcome." Sesshomaru nodded in respect.

"I apologize for anything that I did to Kagome previously. Thankfully, she has forgiven me, and now we will soon be ma-" Kagome covered his mouth.

"Sesshomaru, I want to explain things to Mom first, so don't say anything yet. Why don't you go play with Souta? He's my younger brother. It should be easy to spot him, I think he's out back." Kagome uncovered his mouth. Sesshomaru paused, looking from Kagome to Hiromi.

"I will stay here. You may need my help." Kagome sighed again.

"Fine, but don't say anything unnecessary." Sesshomaru nodded. Kagome sat down at the kitchen table with her mother. "Mom, this may take a while, and it might surprise you, so be prepared."

oOo

After explaining, Hiromi didn't say anything. She only sat there, staring at the table.

"Kagome . . ." Hiromi couldn't find the right words.

"Mom, are you okay?" Hiromi gave Kagome a hesitant smile.

"Kagome, you know I respect your decisions, but . . . don't you think you're rushing yourself? You haven't known this man, Sesshomaru, for very long." Hiromi glanced at Sesshomaru, who had been sitting quietly across the room the whole time.

"Mom, it's okay. Trust me . . . Sesshomaru and I are in love." _It's a good thing I didn't mention the mating ritual, especially the fourth step. Mom would kill me!_ Hiromi looked at Sesshomaru again.

"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru was tempted to growl from the lack of his title, but restrained. He was aware that Kagome's mother didn't know youkai protocol.

"Yes?" Hiromi paused.

"Do you really love my daughter?" Sesshomaru stood and took Kagome's hand. Kneeling down, he gently kissed it. Kagome blushed.

"I love Kagome with all of my heart. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her." Kagome pulled her hand away and kissed his forehead. Sesshomaru stood. Hiromi looked at them for a minute, and smiled.

"Yes, I see it now. Thank you, Sesshomaru, for looking after my daughter. Please continue to look after her, and I wish you future happiness." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Thank you for your consent." Hiromi stood.

"Would you two like some tea?" Kagome smiled and nodded. Hiromi began heating a pot of water. Kagome stood and kissed Sesshomaru's cheek.

"I was worried my mom wouldn't like you." Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her.

"I believe that she sees us the same way I do." Kagome was confused, but ignored it. She hugged Sesshomaru and sighed contentedly.

-End-

Hey!! I'm sorry it took so long!

Thank you so much for supporting me throughout this story! This has been a lot of fun! I tried to make this chapter long to make up for my absence. My Internet was busted.

As the search for the shards continues, so will Sesshomaru and Kagome's love, and there's going to be some fun struggles along the way.

For those of you who want them to be mates soon, don't hold your breath too long, because I have officially decided to make this story at least 50 chapters long! I might make it longer, but I want to reach 50 at least.

I'll be updating sooner from now on, because my school just let out for the summer. I'll probably keep it within five days of updating.

Again, thanks so much for reviewing! Let's try to make it to 900! Review review review!! Please review!! I'll try to update soon, and please review! Bye-bye!


	39. More Shards

Kagome smiled and closed her backpack. She was almost done packing, and the only thing left was new shoes. The shoes she was wearing were too small. Kagome turned around and went downstairs. She found Sesshomaru trying to understand how to play video games with Souta.

After explaining things to her mother, Grandpa had come into the house and started panicking when he saw Sesshomaru, and had panicked even more when he saw Kagome's youkai appearance. He had tried to banish Sesshomaru, thinking he was evil.

Now that Hiromi had explained, things in the house had calmed down. Souta was also informed, and he was excited that his sister was 'dating' a youkai. To Kagome, the word dating didn't sound right. She was far past dating.

"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru dropped the game controler and gave her a concerned look.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, no, I just wanted to ask you something. I need to go into town. My shoes are too small, and I need new ones for traveling, but . . ." Kagome gestured toward her appearance. Sesshomaru smirked.

"You do not need to worry. Although we have never needed it, Inu youkai have the ability to hide their features and give off a human appearance." Sesshomaru took a step back. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, taking a deep breath. After a moment, there was a red light surrounding him, and when the light vanished, he looked different.

Kagome gasped. Sesshomaru's face markings were gone, and his hair had changed from white to black. His claws had shortened to the length of normal human nails, and although she couldn't see his teeth, Kagome assumed his fangs were gone.

"That's so cool!" Kagome giggled at Souta. He was staring at Sesshomaru in amazement. "Wow, Kagome, you picked a really cool boyfriend! He's even cooler than Inuyasha!" Kagome smiled and pushed Souta out of the room.

"Come on, I have to talk to Sesshomaru. Go play somewhere else." Souta glared at her, but left obediently. Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru.

"I didn't know you could do anything like that. Do you think that I could do it?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I believe you can, but not while you don't have all of your strength. But I have the ability to do it for you." Sesshomaru put a hand on Kagome's head and concentrated again. After a minute, he took his hand away and looked around. He saw a mirror in the corner and held it up to Kagome. She took it and looked at herself.

"What?!" Kagome's markings were gone, along with her claws and fangs. She looked like she had as a human. "Wow, Sesshomaru. This is great! Now I don't have to worry about being in public as a youkai! Thank you!" She hugged him tightly. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her. She looked up and smiled. "Since you already look like this, would you mind coming?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I was going to come either way." Kagome sighed and let him go.

"I have to change my clothes. Also . . . you can't go around wearing robes and armor. Ask my mom for some clothes. I'll be upstairs." She was gone instantly. Sesshomaru felt tempted to follow her, but decided not to. He went into the kitchen and found Hiromi slicing carrots.

"Excuse me, but Kagome is going into town, and informed me that I could find appropriate clothes from you." Hiromi turned around and gasped.

"Sesshomaru, you look like a human. Is this a power of yours?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I have the power to look human. I have done the same for Kagome, in order for her to purchase shoes, but I believe I need clothes from this time that will not draw attention." Hiromi smiled.

"Of course, you can borrow my husband's old clothes. Follow me." Hiromi went upstairs with Sesshomaru close behind. She went down the hall and opened the last door. Inside, it was empty. She opened a closet door on the side and dug through. "Here." Hiromi handed Sesshomaru a white button-down shirt and jeans.

"Thank you." Hiromi went back to the closet and gave him a black leather belt and a pair of shoes.

"These should fit. My husband was about the same size, if I remember. You can change in the bathroom, which is two doors up the hall." Hiromi left the room, but stopped by the door. She turned back and smiled again. "Thank you so much for protecting my daughter. Have fun in town." Hiromi left, leaving Sesshomaru confused. He had thought that Kagome's mother would be at least a little surprised by the fact that Kagome was in love with him.

He decided not to think about it and followed Hiromi's directions to the bathroom. He went in and started changing, but it was hard to put on the clothes. They were the right size, but not made the same way his were. After he dressed, he concentrated for a minute, and his Mokomoko slid off. His Mokomoko was part of him, and he could only remove it if it was absolutely necessary.

After he finished changing, he opened the door. He could smell Kagome across the hall, in her bedroom. He knocked on the door.

"Just a minute, Sesshomaru!" He could hear clothes rustling, and after a few seconds, Kagome opened the door. Sesshomaru was caught off gaurd.

Kagome looked stunning. She was wearing a red top with tight sleeves and jeans, and the clothes hugged her figure. Kagome looked him up and down. "You look great. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were human." Sesshomaru pulled Kagome into his arms.

"Kagome, you looked beautiful." Kagome blushed.

"Sesshomaru, let go of me, please. You don't need to get excited, it's just a shirt and pants." Sesshomaru pulled her away to look at her again, and smiled.

"I still think you look amazing. Would you do something for me?" Kagome cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah?" Sesshomaru leaned down until he was inches from her face.

"Bring some of these clothes back with you so I may see you in them more often." Kagome blushed again.

"Okay. But for now, can we go and get shoes?" Sesshomaru nodded and stood up. Kagome went back in her room and grabbed a purse, and they went downstairs. "Mom, I'm going out!" Kagome didn't stop as she waved to her mother and ran out the door. Sesshomaru, surprised by Kagome's sudden bounciness, followed her out.

"Kagome, be careful." Kagome stopped short of the stairs that led to the street and turned to Sesshomaru.

"I'm sorry, I'm just excited to be going to town. I haven't been able to come home and relax for a while." Sesshomaru took her hand.

"You may find what you need in town, but I want to come back when you're done. I do not want you using up too much energy." Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I understand. Let's go." Kagome pulled him down the steps and onto the streets. Despite the scent of pollution, Tokyo amazed Sesshomaru. The buildings, cars, what people were wearing, it all seemed strange to him. Kagome pulled him along as she walked down the street.

"Kagome, this village is fairly large. How do you find your way around?" Kagome giggled.

"I've lived here most of my life. I know how to find places I need to get to." Kagome slowed down and walked slowly next to him. "Are you hungry?" Sesshomaru looked down at her.

"Not particularly. Why?" Kagome sighed.

"I was hoping to get some food after I bought shoes."

"Kagome! Is that you?!" Kagome and Sesshomaru turned to see Kagome's friend Eri. She was shouting and waving. Kagome smiled.

"Hey!" Eri ran over and hugged Kagome, forcing her to release her grip on Sesshomaru's hand. She let go of Kagome and smiled.

"Kagome, it's been so long." Kagome nodded. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since graduation." Kagome sighed.

"Well, it's a long story. You see, I . . . moved away from town, but I'm staying with my mom for a while, and I'm going into town for a bit." Eri looked away from Kagome to stare at Sesshomaru.

"Is this your boyfriend?" Kagome blushed.

"Uh, well, yeah, sort of." She rubbed the back of her head. There was a difference between her mom and her friend meeting Sesshomaru.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Eri." Eri extended her hand. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow. Kagome nudged him gently. Sesshomaru hesitated, but shook Eri's hand.

"My name is Sesshomaru." Eri smiled and turned to Kagome.

"He's cute. You found a good one, he looks even better than Hojo." Kagome had to stop herself from growling.

"Eri, he's not an object. I didn't 'find' him." Eri laughed.

"I'm sorry. So, how long have you been dating?" Kagome tried to think of a good answer.

"It's been a while. Anyway, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, this and that. I'm in college right now, but we have a vacation."

"Kagome, shouldn't we be leaving?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru and back at Eri.

"Sorry, I have to go. I promised my mom I'd be back soon. See you later!" Kagome turned and waved. Eri waved good-bye and walked away.

After a few more minutes of walking around, without any more interruptions, they reached the shoe store. While Kagome looked for suitable traveling shoes, Sesshomaru stood near the front counter, waiting. The cashier, a girl about Kagome's age, saw him and put away the magazine she had been reading.

"May I help you?" Sesshomaru glanced at her, but looked away again.

"I am waiting for someone else." The cashier stepped out from behind the counter and stood next to him.

"Why don't you come with me? We can go get coffee or something." She put her hand on Sesshomaru's arm, but he pushed it away.

"No." Sesshomaru could smell the arousal in the girl's scent, and he didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"Come on, please?" Sesshomaru growled, but the girl didn't notice.

"Get away from him!" They both turned to see Kagome, holding a shoe box. The girl glared at her.

"What do you want?" Kagome pushed her away from Sesshomaru.

"For your information, he's mine." The girl stared at Kagome for a second, but went back behind the counter. Kagome slammed the shoe box down on the counter. "Now, I'm going to buy these, but if I ever catch your eyes on him again, you'll wish you were never born." The cashier, now frightened, nodded and rang up the shoes.

On the way out of the store, Kagome growled. Sesshomaru was carrying the shoes, and he could smell Kagome's anger.

"Kagome, do not stress yourself." Kagome growled again.

"You weren't interested in her, were you?" Kagome's anger faded and changed to worry. Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Of course not. You are the only female I will ever be interested in. I was not about to associate myself with that whore." Kagome gasped.

"Sesshomaru, did you just say what I think you said?"

"I could smell it in her scent. She has been with many different males, and I will not be one of them." Kagome looked away. Sesshomaru took her hand again. "Kagome, you needn't worry. I promise that I will never leave you." Kagome smiled.

"Thanks." They were silent for a minute. "Can we go eat?" Sesshomaru looked at her and nodded.

"Where would you like to eat?" Kagome thought about it.

"Let's go to someplace simple. Follow me." Kagome led Sesshomaru down the streets for a few minutes untilt they had reached their destination. They went in and Kagome ordered their food. They were at 'WacDonalds.' Kagome paid and took the food and went to a booth. Sesshomaru eyed his hamburger.

"What is this made from?" Kagome sipped her soda.

"Relax, you'll like it. It's made from cows, all right?" Sesshomaru eyed it again before taking a bite.

oOo

"Did you like it?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"The food was strange, but I must admit that it was very good." Kagome smiled. They were on their way home after eating.

"I'm glad. Now that I have my shoes, and my backpack is packed and waiting at home, we can leave and look for the rest of the shards."

"You do not have to leave right away if you do not wish to." Kagome squeezed Sesshomaru's hand.

"No, we have to find the shards. We can visit again some other time."

"Perhaps after we have children." Kagome blushed.

"Don't start that again, please." Sesshomaru chuckled, and they continued walking the rest of the way in silence. Kagome couldn't help thinking about what Sesshomaru had said. _What would my mom say if I came back pregnant? Or if a came back with a pup? I think Grandpa would have a heart attack._

When they reached the house, Kagome went into her room to change, and Sesshomaru was about to change as well, but his clothes weren't in the bathroom where he had left them. He sniffed the air, but he couldn't smell his scent on the clothes.

Hiromi came upstairs and saw Sesshomaru in front of the bathroom, looking perplexed.

"Oh, hello, Sesshomaru. If you want your clothes, I'm washing them right now. Could you wait a minute? I think they should be done by now." Sesshomaru nodded, and followed Hiromi downstairs to the washroom. Hiromi opened the dryer and pulled out his clothes. His armor and Mokomoko sat on the floor nearby. Hiromi picked them up and handed them to him.

"Thank you." Sesshomaru took them and went back upstairs to change. After he was done, he went to Kagome's room and knocked on the door. "Kagome?" Kagome opened the door.

"I'm almost ready. Wait another second, okay?" Kagome went to her closet and dug through. She pulled out a dark-green sweater and put it on over her T-shirt. She grabbed a hair-band and put her hair into a ponytail. "Okay, let's go." Kagome grabbed her backpack and closed the door to her room.

Sesshomaru followed her downstairs. Kagome went into the kitchen, opened the fridge and found a few more things to put in her backpack. Hiromi came into the kitchen and frowned.

"Kagome, are you leaving so soon?" Kagome nodded when she was done.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I have to get back. We're really close to finishing the jewel, and I want to get it done as soon as I can." Hiromi smiled and nodded.

"I understand. Hurry back so I can see you again." Kagome nodded and hugged her mother.

"Bye." Hiromi kissed Kagome's forehead.

"I'll see you again. Sesshomaru, please take care of her." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I will make sure she stays safe." Kagome smiled and took Sesshomaru's hand.

"Bye, Mom. I'll come back soon." Kagome led Sesshomaru to the front door and out of the house.

oOo

"What's taking so long?!" Inuyasha paced back and forth in front of the well.

"Be patient." Miroku pretended to clean his staff with the edge of his robe.

"They should be here! That's it, I'm going in!" Inuyasha perched on the edge of th well, ready to jump, when there was a bright purple light. Sesshomaru leaped out of the well, grasping Kagome around the waist. He landed and released Kagome.

"We're back." Kagome smiled and set her backpack on the ground.

"Welcome back. Inuyasha was about to jump in and get you." Inuyasha glared at Miroku. Kagome laughed.

"I guess we took a bit longer than we should have. Let's go." Inuyasha suddenly froze. He sniffed the air.

"Uh, I have to go. I'll come back later!" Inuyasha leaped away into the forest.

"Inuyasha! Where are you going?! Wait!" Kagome tried to run after him, but Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist.

"He will be back. Don't worry." Kagome bit her lip. Inuyasha wasn't acting like himself.

"Inuyasha, you'd better come back!" Kagome picked up her backpack and sighed. "I guess we have to start without him, but I don't want to leave him alone."

"He will find our scents." Sesshomaru took Kagome's backpack from her and put it on Ah-Un. "In the meantime, you must relax while we search." Kagome opened her mouth to object, but decided it was better not to.

Soon they were ready to go, and they started traveling. They were still flying, which made Kagome worry more about whether Inuyasha could find them, but Sesshomaru assured her that he would find his way back.

It was quiet as they flew through the air. The wind whipped through Kagome's hair, and it smelled much better than her home. There was no pollution here.

"Sesshomaru, would it be bad if we talked?" Sesshomaru glanced at her, surprised.

"Of course not. Why would it be?"

"I didn't want to distract you while you're flying."

"I only need to keep my eyes ahead of me, and it doesn't take much focus either way. What would you like to talk about?" Kagome sighed.

"Do you know what's up with Inuyasha? He's acting weird." Sesshomaru thought about it.

"I do not have enough information to come to a conclusion. His behavior is strange, but I do not know my brother well enough to know why." Kagome rested her head on his shoulder.

"That's fine. I wasn't sure if you knew. Also, do you think I'll be able to use a youkai cloud?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"I am sure you have many of the powers I have, and more powers from your miko abilities." Kagome thought about the attacks she had already used with Junsei. Kagome had included the sword in her explanation to her mother, along with the different attacks she had used.

"You're going to keep training me after we finish the jewel, right?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Hey! Wait up!" Kagome looked down to see Inuyasha running after them.

"Kirara, go down!" Kirara obeyed Sango and descended to the ground. Sesshomaru kept flying. Inuyasha quickly leaped onto Kirara and they flew up again.

"Inuyasha, what was wrong?" Inuyasha glanced at Kagome.

"Nothing, don't worry." He looked away, staring at the mountains behind them. Kagome sighed, but ignored her feelings of worry. _I hope Inuyasha is okay. I'm really worried. _

Kagome felt a sudden twitch. She knew this feeling.

"I sense shards. There's two of them. I think it's Koga." Sesshomaru looked down at her.

"Where are the shards?" Kagome concentrated.

"Koga's headed toward us. We should land." Sesshomaru nodded and began descending. Kirara followed. As the youkai cloud disappeared, Kagome began walking. "Koga?" There was a large tornado headed for them. Kagome stopped and stepped back.

The tornado stopped short of them and disappeared, revealing Koga. He smiled when he saw Kagome, but growled when Sesshomaru pulled her close to him.

"Hey Kagome, what's this dog doing?" Kagome growled.

"Koga, please don't insult Sesshomaru. I want to talk to you seriously." Koga looked confused.

"What's so special about this Inu youkai?" Kagome pulled Sesshomaru's arm away, but he held tight.

"Sesshomaru, please let go." Sesshomaru paused, but released her. Kagome took a few steps toward Koga. "Koga, I've told you a million times that I don't love you, and I'm not going to be your mate." Koga looked away and sighed.

"Yeah, I know. You don't have a choice." Kagome was taken by surprise.

"What? What do you mean? Do you know about the flower?" Koga nodded, and looked back at Kagome.

"But you don't have to go with him, you know. We couldn't have kids together, but we could still be happy. You don't have to be with him." Kagome smiled softly.

"Koga, I want children, but that's not the only reason I want to stay with Sesshomaru. I'm in love with him, and he's in love with me. I'm going to be his mate because I want to." Sesshomaru was back at Kagome's side, and he kissed her forehead. Kagome leaned against his shoulder. "Koga, I'm sorry, but you aren't going to be my mate, because I already have one." Koga could only stare.

"But . . . Kagome, I . . . I've loved you for so long . . . how could you . . .?" Sesshomaru growled.

"Wolf, you would be wise to listen to Kagome. She has defeated Naraku, and I do not think she will hesitate to hurt you if you try to force her into anything." Koga's eyes went wide.

"She defeated Naraku?!" Kagome nodded.

"It took a lot out of me, and I'm still not at my full strength, but I did. That's why I was looking for you. We need your shards." Sesshomaru reached into his shirt to show Koga the jewel. Koga collapsed on the ground.

"Naraku is dead . . . Kagome's in love with a dog . . . none of this makes sense." Kagome took the jewel.

"Koga, would you please give me your shards? I need to complete the jewel. There isn't much of a reason for you to keep the shards, now that Naraku is gone." Koga stood and shook his head.

"No. I'm keeping them." Kagome gasped when she saw Koga's eyes. They were bright red. Sesshomaru let go of Kagome and stepped in front of her.

"Wolf, you cannot defeat me. Give up the shards, or I will take them." Koga snarled.

"Kagome, I don't care what you say! You will be MINE!" Koga charged at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru quickly drew Tokijin and took a defensive stance. Koga charged straight into the sword, causing it to slice into his stomach.

"Kagome, step back." Kagome obeyed Sesshomaru and stepped away from the fight. Koga pulled away from the sword, ignoring his injury, and charged again. "Dragon Strike!" Sesshomaru swung Tokijin, and a blew light came out and hit Koga. Koga was thrown back and slammed into a tree.

"Koga?" Kagome couldn't help feeling worried. Sesshomaru stepped up to Koga, now unconscious, and looked back at Kagome.

"Where are the shards?" Kagome paused.

"They're in each of his legs, but don't hurt him anymore, please?" Sesshomaru nodded and used Tokijin to cut a small slit in Koga's legs. He saw the shards and took them out.

"That was too easy, wolf." Sesshomaru walked back to Kagome, wiping the blood off the shards. Kagome took them and placed them in her hand with the jewel. She concentrated, and her hand glowed pink. After a minute, she pulled her hand away to reveal the jewel. It only had a small slit left, just enough for one more shard.

"I'm sorry, Koga." Kagome couldn't help but apologize, even though Koga couldn't hear her. She turned to look at Sango.

"We can look for Kohaku now. We're going to need to take his shard." Sango nodded, trying to hold back tears. Kagome came over and rubbed her back. "I'll try and find a way to keep him alive. If I can defeat Naraku, I'm sure I can help Kohaku." Sango smiled.

"Thank you, Kagome." Sango mounted Kirara, along with Miroku and Inuyasha.

"I say that wolf deserved what he got." Kagome glared at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, that's not nice. I didn't want to have to hurt him." Inuyasha's ears went down, and he mumbled an apology. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Kagome and summoned his youkai cloud.

oOo

It had been three days since they had started traveling. Everyone rested in a camp they had set up near a river. Shippo and Rin were sleeping on Ah-Un, and Jaken was resting against a bush nearby. Sango had fallen asleep leaning against Miroku, who was sleeping against a tree. Inuyasha was perched in a branch, and Kagome was sleeping in Sesshomaru's lap. Sesshomaru was the only one who was still awake.

The night passed by slowly and quietly. Sesshomaru could hear a few animals as they settled down to sleep. He looked at Kagome and stroked her hair. He lifted his hand to his face and felt his cheek. _How could Kagome have seen it? It wasn't supposed to show up until after the mating. _Sesshomaru suddenly felt a sharp spark of electricity on his face. He jumped, and then looked at Kagome. She didn't stir.

_What's going on? It's too early for this. _Sesshomaru growled. This didn't make sense. He felt Kagome move and looked at her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him.

"Sesshomaru? Is something wrong?" Sesshomaru started stroking her hair again.

"Go back to sleep. You still need to rest." Kagome sighed.

"Sesshomaru, it's been days. I feel fine. What were you growling about?" Sesshomaru kissed her forehead.

"Nevermind. Sleep." Kagome shook her head.

"Please tell me." Sesshomaru smiled and took Kagome's chin between his fingers.

"If you do not sleep soon, I will throw you in the river." Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Go ahead. I could use a bath." Sesshomaru stood, with Kagome in his arms, and walked away from camp. Kagome's eyes went wide as she tried to get away. "I was joking! The water in the river is freezing!" Sesshomaru held onto her until they reached the river.

"Do you wish to go back to camp?" Kagome nodded as she clung to him. "Will you sleep?" Kagome looked up at him.

"If you tell me why you were growling." Sesshomaru sat by the river and held Kagome over the edge. "Sesshomaru!" Kagome glared at him. Sesshomaru chuckled and held her close.

"Kagome, I would not do that to you." Kagome sighed.

"I'm not used to this. You're so . . . different. You're so playful now." Sesshomaru smiled.

"Only when we're alone. I do not enjoy the thought of others seeing me like this. It makes me seem weak." Kagome leaned up and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru knew what she wanted, and pressed his lips against hers. He held her there until Kagome pushed against his chest, begging for air. He released her, smiling when Kagome gasped.

"Sesshomaru . . . do you have . . . to suffocate me?" He chuckled and kissed her forehead again.

"I apologize, but you are very tempting." Kagome glared at him, but softened into a smile.

"Why don't you listen to your temptations?" Kagome leaned up, and Sesshomaru kissed her again.

oOo

Kagome opened her eyes and yawned. She looked around. She and Sesshomaru were back at camp, and she was fully dressed. She yawned again and looked up at the sky. It was still early, dawn had broken only a short while ago. She realized that she was in Sesshomaru's lap, and looked up at him. Sesshomaru was awake, smiling at her.

"You're awake again." Kagome smiled.

"You were right when you said you weren't done with the fourth step. When did you bring us back to the camp?"

"You fell asleep afterward. I didn't want your friends to find out." Kagome looked at the rest of the group. Everyone was still asleep. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Do you love me?" Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow.

"Of course I do. I love you more than you could know. Why would you have to ask?" Kagome sighed.

"I've been feeling uncomfortable lately. Everything seems so . . . unreal. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I shouldn't be here. It's almost like I shouldn't exist." Sesshomaru furrowed his brow.

"This isn't good." Kagome looked up at him.

"What? Do you know what it is?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Do not worry. I will tell you when the time comes." Kagome sighed again.

"Please tell me . . . as soon as you can . . ." Sesshomaru looked down and saw that Kagome had fallen asleep. He looked up at the sky. _This shouldn't be happening. Not yet. _

oOo

Inuyasha's nose wrinkled when he woke up. Something smelled awful. He looked down from his tree and saw Kagome snuggled against Sesshomaru. Her sweater was coming off her shoulder, and her ponytail was crooked. He jumped down and sniffed the air. _Gross, I hope she didn't do what I think she did. Stupid mating ritual. _Inuyasha looked around, but everyone else was still asleep.

Inuyasha sat on the grass and sighed. He wished that he weren't here, but he wanted to help Kagome. His mind wandered to another place, another person.

"Inuyasha?" He heard a quiet whisper and turned around. Two golden eyes stared at him from the bushes. Inuyasha stood and rushed over.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't I smell you?"

"I hid my scent." Inuyasha could smell the lavender as the scent was revealed to him.

"Kyoko, you know better. My older brother will wake up soon, and if he catches you . . ."

"I know, but I had to see you." Her golden eyes pleaded. Inuyasha smiled and kissed her forehead. Kyoko wrapped her arms around him. Inuyasha laughed. Kyoko looked up at him. "What is it? What's so funny?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking . . . I'm being kind of hypocritical."

"Why?" Inuyasha sighed and stroked her dark red hair.

"I was asking my friend Kagome how she could be in love with my brother, because she hadn't had much time with him. Now look at me, with a girl I've known for only a few days." Kyoko giggled.

"Well, love comes in many ways to many people. You could call ours 'love at first sight.'" Inuyasha pulled her away and took her chin between his fingers.

"I suppose you could." Kyoko closed her eyes as Inuyasha leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

-End-

Hey!! I'm so sorry I didn't udate, but my internet was broken! My older brother stole our wireless internet connector and brought it back to college with him, and didn't give it back for a while. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! I'm getting into the habit of making them really long, so I'll have to make them even longer each time I get a hundred more reviews.

Inuyasha's secret is revealed! It wasn't a secret for long, but I couldn't resist putting the last part in. Midoriko was right when she said Inuyasha would find a mate. \

And please don't flame me for skipping Kagome and Sesshomaru's 'intamacy.' I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll have another lemon until the actual mating. I might have something in between, but not right now.

This story is gonna get even better, especially after the jewel is done! I've got something special in store for Kagome!

Well, I have to go now. Don't forget to review!! Review review review review!! I wanna make it to 900!! Please review!! Okay, I have to go! See you next time! Please review! Bye-bye!


	40. End of the Search

Kagome panted and leaned against a tree.

"Are you all right?" Kagome nodded and smiled at Sesshomaru.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired. Nothing to worry about. It's been a while since we trained together, and I suppose my skills have started to weaken." Sesshomaru walked over to her while sheathing Tokijin.

"Nonsense. You are still very good in combat. You're powers are developing well." Kagome slumped to the ground.

"Thank you. It's thanks to your training." Sesshomaru sat next to her.

"We should stop for today. Your friends will be waking up soon." Kagome sheathed Junsei and stood.

It was the morning of the sixth day that they had been searching. They were pressing on, and Sango was worrying more and more about Kohaku. Sesshomaru had finally agreed to continue Kagome's training, and they had started at dawn.

Kagome wiped her forehead and grimaced. She was covered in sweat.

"I'm going down to the river. You can go back to camp if you want." Kagome grabbed her backpack, which she had set near a tree, and walked towards the river. Sesshomaru remained where he was, scanning the area with his senses.

When she was done, Kagome walked slowly back to the camp, thinking about how she could help Kohaku, once they found him. _I hope I can save him. I promised Sango I would try. Maybe, if I just concentrate, my powers will do what they need to. That's basically how I've used my powers so far. Then again, nothing works forever. _

"Ow!" Kagome took a step back and rubbed her head. Lost in her thoughts, she had bumped into a tree. She sighed and continued walking. _I need to pay attention. _She suddenly stopped, and her eyes went wide. She could sense a shard. "Sesshomaru! I sense a shard!"

Kagome ran back to camp. She felt like she wasn't going fast enough, pushing herself harder as she ran. The rest of the group came out of the trees, Sesshomaru in the lead.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome slowed down, panting.

"I . . . sense a . . . shard. It has . . . to be . . . Kohaku." Kagome tried to catch her breath, and Sesshomaru stepped closer to her.

"Are you all right?" Kagome nodded and stood up straight.

"We have to hurry. Kohaku's moving fast." Kirara transformed, and Miroku and Inuyasha were quick to jump on, but Sango seemed frozen. "Sango?" Sango shook her head and climbed on Kirara. Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's waist and summoned his youkai cloud. It wasn't long before they were in the air.

"Where is he?" Kagome glanced at Sango, who seemed frantic.

"It's that way," Kagome pointed in the direction where she sensed the shard. They flew off in that direction, towards the east.

oOo

"Hey, kid! Get over here!" Kohaku looked behind him to see two large, burly-looking men. "Help us!" Kohaku walked up to them.

"What is it that you need?" The men snickered.

"Go over to that village and steal us a couple of pieces of meat." Kohaku glanced through the trees, where a village was located a few hundred feet away. He glared back at the men.

"No. Stealing is wrong." The men snickered again. One of them, the one on the right, placed his hand on Kohaku's shoulder.

"Come on, we'll help you if you get in trouble. We're hungry. Don't you want to help a couple of homeless men?" Kohaku slapped his hand away.

"If you're homeless, why do you look so healthy? You're just thieves!" Kohaku turned and started running. The other man tried to grab his collar, but missed, and started going after him.

"Hey! Get over here!" Kohaku stopped and turned back around. He grabbed his chain scythe from his waist and prepared to attack. The men stopped, and started laughing. "You think you can hurt us?!"

Kohaku swung the chain scythe in the air and swiped it under the men's feet. They tried to dodge to the left, but the chain twisted and caught one man's foot. Kohaku pulled and the man fell. Pulling the chain back, Kohaku prepared for another attack. The second man looked at his companion, and went after Kohaku.

Kohaku jumped and swung his chain scythe, catching the man's abdomen. He pulled and forced the man to the ground. Not bothering to finish the job, Kohaku placed his weapon back on his waist and ran.

When he was sure he was at a safe distance, Kohaku stopped and looked around. He was near a small stream, and a mouse was trying to swim to the shore. Kohaku bent down and picked up the creature, placing it on the ground. The mouse shook its fur dry and ran away.

"Kohaku!" Kohaku looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. In the air, he could see Kirara, along with his sister and her friends riding on her. Next to them, there was a youkai, who Kohaku recognized as Lord Sesshomaru, the youkai that Naraku despised, who had a girl with him.

"Sister?!" Kirara and Sesshomaru quickly descended and landed. Sango jumped off and embraced her brother, tears flowing down her face.

"Kohaku! I can't believe it's you! Are you all right?! Kohaku!" Kohaku hugged his hysterical sister. The others stood by quietly, watching the reunion.

"Sister, I'm fine. Naraku is gone, and he doesn't have control over me. I also . . . remember everything that happened before . . . and I know that I'm dead." Sango hugged him tighter.

"Kohaku . . . you're my brother, and I love you, and I think . . . I think that my friend can help you." Sango pulled away and looked at Kagome. Kagome smiled and walked over to them. She looked at Kohaku.

"Kohaku, I'm a miko, and I have special powers. I think that if I try, I might be able to . . . bring you back to life. Would you allow me to try?" Kohaku looked at his sister, back at Kagome, and nodded.

Kagome smiled and sighed. "I'll try." She took a step closer to Kohaku and placed her hand on his back, where the shard was. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Focusing her mind on the shard, she concentrated.

For a few minutes, nothing happened. There was a stiffness in the air, and Sango was ready to start crying again. Miroku rubbed her back for support.

Suddenly, something started to appear in the air above Kohaku and Kagome. Everyone looked up, except for Kagome and Kohaku themselves. In the air was a small, white sphere. It was about the size of a leaf, but as the time passed, it slowly grew. Kagome placed her other hand over her first, concentrating harder. The sphere stopped growing, now the size of a baseball, and began spinning. Kagome's hair started to float, as if there was a wind centered only on her.

"Kohaku? Kagome?" Sango was growing more worried by the second. The sphere in the air suddenly froze, and began to float down. Kagome groaned from the difficulty. She pulled Kohaku into her, hugging him, and tried harder. The sphere stopped just short of Kagome's head, and flew towards Kohaku. It stopped at his back, and, slowly, phased through Kagome's hands, and into Kohaku's back. Kohaku made a choking noise, and pushed Kagome away.

"Kohaku?" Kagome reached toward him, but he slapped her hand away, coughing severely. He put a hand to his throat and knelt on the ground. Sango tried to go to him, but Miroku held her back. After what seemed like an eternity, Kohaku's coughs died down, and something on the ground behind him began shining. As Kohaku stood, Kagome walked around him and picked up the object.

"Kohaku? Are you all right?" Miroku let her go, and Sango rushed to her brother. He rubbed his neck and looked up at Sango.

"Sister, I feel . . . different. It feels like something was missing, and now it's back." Sango hugged him and looked urgently at Kagome.

"Is that . . .?" Kagome smiled and nodded, holding up the shard for everyone to see.

"Kohaku is alive, Sango. You don't have to worry." Sango sighed with relief and hugged Kohaku tighter. He pulled away and smiled at her.

"Sango, I'm alive now. You don't have to worry anymore. I'll be with you from now on." Sango smiled and hugged him again, but pulled away and stepped up to Kagome. She hugged Kagome tightly as tears poured down her face.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome hugged her back, glad that the search for the jewel shards was finally over. As Sango pulled away, Kagome looked at the shard in her hand, and pulled out the rest of it from her shirt.

"I suppose this is it . . . the jewel is finally going to be completed." Kagome cupped her hands together and concentrated. It glowed pink for a second, and then the glow disappeared. Kagome smiled, and held up the Jewel of Four Souls.

"Sango, since your brother's life has been restored, and the jewel is complete, would you like to go back to live in your village?" Sango glanced at Miroku, and back at Kagome. Kagome nodded.

"It's fine, Sango. I understand. I wish you a happy future." Sango hugged Kagome again.

"I'll come see you some time. Maybe, in a few years, our children can play together." Kagome smiled and quietly laughed.

"Yes, I would like that." Sango pulled away and mounted Kirara. Miroku climbed on behind her, and Kohaku sat in front of them. He smiled at Kagome.

"Thank you very much, Kagome. I owe you my life, and I will repay you someday." Kagome watched as Kirara flew into the air and off towards the Youkai Slayers village. Kagome looked back at Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, the kids, Jaken, and Ah-Un, who had all remained quiet. Shippo jumped off Ah-Un's back and into his mother's arms.

"Mama, that was amazing!" Kagome hugged him.

"Thank you, Shippo."

"Kagome, I am sure you are tired. We can go back to the castle now, if you wish." Kagome nodded and set Shippo down.

"Yeah, but first I have to do something. I want to make sure that no one ever comes after this jewel again, and to do that, I have to wish on it." Kagome held the jewel close to her heart. "And I have the perfect wish." She took a deep breath.

"Kagome, let us go home. You must be tired." Kagome looked at Sesshomaru and shook her head.

"I need to do this first." She took another breath and looked around at everyone. Jaken was trying not to look interested, Ah-Un was eating the grass, unaware of how important this moment was, Inuyasha and the kids were watching her, waiting with baited breath for her wish, and Sesshomaru looked worried, not wanting her to use any more energy than she already had. "I wish . . . I wish for the happiness of all my friends and family."

Time seemed to stop. Everyone was waiting for something to happen, but it never did. Kagome looked at the jewel, and suddenly, a bright pink light pierced the area around them. Everyone had to block their eyes to avoid being blinded. Kagome closed her eyes and waited for the glowing to stop. But when she opened them, she didn't recognize where she was.

Kagome looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. Everything around her looked white, the trees, hills, and mountains were gone.

"Kagome." Kagome looked around until, to her surprise, she saw her mother, with Souta and Grandpa. "Kagome, I love you. You're a wonderful daughter, and I want you to be happy." Kagome blinked, and her family was gone, and instead, Koga stood there.

"Kagome, I once thought you were mine, but I see that you're happy with Sesshomaru, and I just want to make you happy, so I'll leave you alone now." Kagome tried to speak to him, but Koga was gone as quickly as her family, and Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku stood in his place.

"Kagome, you're my dearest friend, and Miroku and I love you very much. Please be happy." Kagome didn't move, realizing that the images weren't real, and vanished quickly. When she blinked, Inuyasha was there.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome. I never meant to hurt you the way I did. I love you. I always will, but for your happiness, I'll stand aside and let Sesshomaru have you. I don't like my brother, but if it's for you, then I suppose I'll try and stop fighting." Inuyasha was gone as quickly as the others, and then Rin and Shippo were there, holding each other's hands.

"Mama, you're amazing. You're kind, brave, pretty, and Rin and I want you to be happy and have a lot of kids with Sesshomaru." Kagome was about to cry. She was so touched by all of these statements, even if she knew the images weren't real. She blinked, causing a tear to go down her cheek, and Sesshomaru appeared before her.

He walked up to her and wiped her tear away, smiling.

"Kagome, thank you." Sesshomaru kissed her forehead. "You have made me the luckiest youkai in the land, and I am happy to be with you. I love you more than anything else I have ever known, and will ever know. You were the first person I cried for, and I could not bear to lose you. I wish to make you happy, to care for you, and give you everything you deserve." Kagome blinked again, bringing on more tears, and as her eyesight was blurred, Sesshomaru vanished. She tried to wipe away her tears, and the world slowly came into view, the white melting away, and showing the scenery.

oOo

"Kagome! Wake up, please." Sesshomaru stroked her face. Kagome had collapsed, still clutching the jewel in her hand, and now she rested in his lap. It had been more than ten minutes.

"Mama! Mama, are you okay?" Shippo shook her arm urgently.

"Kagome, get up!" Inuyasha growled from frusteration. He was about to punch a nearby tree, when they heard a small moan. Everyone looked at Kagome. She blinked, looking around, with a smile on her face.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, still smiling. She placed her hands on his face, pulled him down, and kissed him. Sesshomaru pulled away, puzzled. Kagome giggled.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. I-" Kagome cut herself off. She looked at her hands, and looked around, leaving Sesshomaru's lap. She searched the ground, and tried to sense it, but she couldn't tell where the jewel was. "Where's the jewel?" Everyone looked around in surprise.

"You collapsed with it in your hand." Sesshomaru stood and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Are you sure you feel well?" Kagome nodded and kept looking.

"Mama, you wished on it, didn't you? Maybe it disappeared because of that." Kagome remembered her dream, when she had been in the white world, and relaxed.

"Yes, I remember. It's fine. The Jewel of Four Souls is gone now." Kagome turned and hugged Sesshomaru. "Let's go home."

oOo

Kagome sat, staring at the campfire, trying to gather her thoughts. Sesshomaru had informed them that they should be at the castle by tomorrow afternoon. It had almost a week since the jewel had disappeared. Inuyasha rode on Ah-Un, because Kirara was gone.

Sesshomaru had stopped Kagome's training again, because of what had happened with the jewel, but promised to start again when they were at the castle.

Kagome sighed and rested against the tree behind her. Everyone was asleep, except for Sesshomaru, who was keeping watch. Kagome looked up at the stars. The leaves on the trees were changing color, and winter was extremely close. Kagome hugged her blanket tighter around herself.

_I wonder what that strange vision meant? After I wished on the jewel for my friends and family to be happy, I saw them all, and they all wished for my own happiness. __**Maybe because you deserve to be happy. **__I haven't seen you in awhile. Where have you been? __**You haven't contradicted yourself enough for me to show up until now.**__ If I didn't know better, I'd think I was crazy, arguing with myself. _

"Kagome?" Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru.

"Yes?" Sesshomaru stood and sat next to her.

"Are you all right? You were staring at the sky. Is something wrong?" Kagome sighed.

"Well, kind of. I told you about that strange vision, right?" Sesshomaru nodded. "I'm trying to figure out what it meant. I want everyone else to be happy, so why did I see everyone wishing for my happiness? I don't understand it." Sesshomaru moved Kagome into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"You deserve it. You try hard to make others happy, even if it's at your own expense. It is time you were the one who was happy." Sesshomaru chuckled. "Besides, the only way I could ever be happy is if you are happy as well." Kagome hugged him tightly.

"Sesshomaru, I love you so much. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have you with me." Sesshomaru grabbed her chin and pulled her face up to look at him.

"I am the one who is lucky. You are far more than I deserve." He kissed her quickly before pulling away and tucking her head under his chin. "Sleep. We will soon be at the castle, and we can continue with the mating ritual." Kagome closed her eyes.

"All right. Just promise me something."

"What?" Kagome yawned.

"Just promise me that you'll . . . always stay with me." Sesshomaru looked down to see that Kagome had fallen asleep. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I promise."

oOo

_Sesshomaru watched the blood leak from his father's wound onto the white snow, a wound caused by his battle with Ryukotsusei. The waves washed up and down the beach.  
_

"_Tell me, Sesshomaru, have you someone to protect?" Sesshomaru scrutinized his father. _

"_Protect? . . . The answer is no. I, Sesshomaru, have no need of such." His father paused, and Sesshomaru watched as he transformed into his true form, running off to find Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother. _

_Sesshomaru waited until his father was out of sight. "Why would I waste my time protecting someone? Ridiculous." Sesshomaru turned and left, never to see his father again. _

oOo

Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome, who was playing with Shippo and Rin on Ah-Un. The group had decided to walk the rest of the way to the castle, and Sesshomaru estimated that they would be there by sundown.

He closed his eyes again as he thought of his strange dream. He hadn't dreamt of his father in years. When they had been standing on the snow-covered beach in the dead of winter, that had been the last time Sesshomaru had seen Inu Taishou.

As he thought back to what he had said, Sesshomaru had to suppress a smile. It was ironic enough that he had ended up protecting Rin, and now he was protecting Kagome as well, although he was sure that Kagome could protect herself if she wanted to.

"Lord Sesshomaru, look!" Sesshomaru turned back to see Rin holding up a piece of paper shaped like a bird. "Kagome taught me how to make this!" Sesshomaru nodded and turned his eyes back on the path.

Kagome dismounted from Ah-Un and walked up to Sesshomaru.

"Why are you so quiet?" Sesshomaru didn't answer. "Sesshomaru?" She nudged his arm with her elbow. Sesshomaru glanced at her before looking back at the path.

"I'm worried about the next step of the mating ritual. We will have to start working on it when we reach the castle." Kagome sighed.

"Will you please tell me what it is?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Not until we are at the castle. I want to talk about it privately." Kagome sighed again.

"Fine." They were silent again as they walked. The kids were quietly chatting, but that was the only noise among the group members.

After a few hours, Kagome was straining from the boredom, when she suddenly caught a new scent. It was a youkai, about twenty feet ahead. "Sesshomaru, do you smell that?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"It is a female tiger youkai. I do not think she intends to threaten us." Kagome jumped as Inuyasha flew past them and blocked the path.

"Stay back." There was a rustle in the bushes, and a girl stepped out. Inuyasha glared at her. "Kyoko! You know better!" The girl walked up to him and, to everyone's surprise, hugged him tightly.

"Inuyasha, you're friends had to find out eventually, and it's so hard to be away from you. Please don't make me leave again." Inuyasha sighed and wrapped his arms around her.

Everyone stared at the girl. She had flaming red hair, pointed ears, and a black stripe on each of her cheeks and her forehead.

"Inuyasha, who is this?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome. He released the girl and sighed again.

"This might take a while. You see, when we were at the castle, a little while before we went to find the rest of the shards, I met Kyoko while I was hunting. I needed to release some stress, and hunting helped, so while I was in the forest, I saw her."

oOo

_Inuyasha cracked his knuckles as he watched the boar youkai die in front of him. It felt good to release his anger. His ears twitched as he heard a twig snap. He turned around and growled. _

"_Who's there?" A young girl approached from the trees. Inuyasha could smell the fear in her scent. "What do you want?" The girl smiled timidly. _

"_You're very strong. I saw you kill that youkai." Inuyasha scoffed. _

"_That was nothing. Listen, if you don't need anything from me, I suggest you leave." The girl giggled. _

"_My name is Kyoko. If you want to kill more youkai, I know where there's a whole group of boar youkai, just down the hill." Inuyasha eyed her warily._

"_Why do you care? I don't even know you." Kyoko giggled again. _

"_Maybe, but it's always nice to make new friends. What's your name?" Inuyasha paused. _

"_Inuyasha." Kyoko turned and started walking away. _

"_Follow me if you want to have some fun. You like killing things, don't you?" Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, but followed. _

"_I don't like killing, just so you know. I only need to get rid of some stress. What does a youkai like you want with a hanyou, anyway?" Kyoko laughed, keeping her eyes on the path._

"_I think it's silly, discriminating against humans and such. I like to think that we're all equal." _

oOo

"She showed me where the youkai were, and I started killing them, and I felt better right away. But when I had killed about half of them, she started killing them too. And she was good at it." Kyoko laughed to herself.

"We were telling each other about ourselves before we knew it. It was love at first sight." Kyoko reached up and played with one of Inuyasha's ears. "And the first sight was pretty good." Inuyasha playfully batted her hand away.

"So, you two are in love?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome and nodded. "Inuyasha, you're such a hypocrite! You think Sesshomaru and I haven't spent that much time together, and here you are with a girl you've known for a few weeks at the most!" Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that. Kyoko's been hiding because . . . I wasn't sure what you guys would think." Kagome paused, and burst into laughter.

"Inuyasha, that's silly!" Kagome calmed down and waited until she stopped laughing. "I don't mean to laugh, but it's not like I'm going to hurt you for liking a girl. I have to admit, she's cute, and it's great that you've found someone. Now you can be happy." Kyoko walked up to Kagome and looked her up and down.

"You don't look half bad yourself. I can see why Inuyasha liked you. You're Kagome, right?" Kagome nodded. Kyoko smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Kyoko looked at the rest of the group.

"And you're Lord Sesshomaru, and you're Rin, you're Shippo, and Jaken, and Ah-Un." Kyoko pointed to each person as she said their names. "Inuyasha has told me all about you." Inuyasha placed a hand on her shoulder. He glared at Sesshomaru.

"You're not going to force her to leave?" Sesshomaru glanced at Kyoko, and back at Inuyasha.

"If she was living in my lands before, she has the right to stay in them. But like you, I will not permit her to live in the castle."

"That's fine." Kyoko took Inuyasha's hand and smiled.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Does this means she's traveling with us?" Inuyasha smiled at Kagome and shook his head.

"I was thinking, and . . . I want to go back to the castle with Kyoko alone." Kagome looked at Kyoko and Inuyasha, and smiled.

"That's fine. I suppose we'll see you when we get there." Inuyasha tightened his grip on Kyoko's hand and leaped into the air with her. They jumped across the trees, and Kagome watched until she couldn't see them anymore. She turned to Sesshomaru. "Shall we continue?" Sesshomaru nodded and started walking ahead.

Kagome sighed in relief. "I'm happy for Inuyasha. At least now he can be with someone he loves."

"I am suspicious about my brother's actions. The female, Kyoko, did not smell of a normal tiger youkai, but I cannot tell what is wrong with her scent." Kagome shrugged.

"She seemed really nice. I think I could be good friends with her."

oOo

"Lady Kagome!" Koneko smiled as Kagome hugged her tightly.

"It's nice to see you again, Koneko, but didn't I tell you not to call me 'Lady'?" Koneko stood back and nodded.

"I apologize. How was your trip? Did you succeed?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I did. I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been doing?" Koneko paused.

"I have been doing as well as always. Is there any way I can serve you?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm going to go meet Sesshomaru in his study. I hope I can see you again soon. You always seem to be busy with chores. I never see you anymore." Koneko smiled again and bowed.

"If possible, I will try to perform tasks in which I will have a chance to see you. I am very grateful for the way you treat me, as you give me much more respect than I deserve."

"Oh, no, I think you deserve my respect. You're like a good friend to me. I have to go now, but I hope to see you soon. Good-bye." Koneko bowed again as Kagome walked down the halls, towards Sesshomaru's study.

They had finally arrived at the castle, just as the sun was setting. Rin and Shippo had gone to play in Rin's room, Ah-Un had been placed in his stable, Jaken had gone to do the duties he was assigned to, and Sesshomaru had gone to his study. Kagome had promised to meet him there after she found Koneko. It had been a while since they had seen each other, and Kagome had felt the need to at least say hello.

Now that she had, Kagome was going to Sesshomaru's study, where he had promised to tell her about the fifth step in the mating ritual. Kagome seemed anxious about it, because it couldn't be good if Sesshomaru wouldn't tell her until now, but if she could defeat Naraku, Kagome was almost positive that she could face it.

When she arrived, Kagome slowly opened the door. Sesshomaru was quietly tending to some paperwork. He looked up and watched Kagome sit down across from him. He pushed the paperwork aside and waited as Kagome settled.

"Kagome, before I tell you about this, you must promise that you will remain calm." Kagome sighed and nodded.

"I want to know, even if it's bad." Sesshomaru paused.

"There are normally five steps in a mating ritual, and if ours was a normal ritual, it is possible that we would have mated already, because after the fourth step would be the mating. But such is not the case with a mating ritual between royalty. Because I am of royal lineage, there is one more step we must perform before the mating.

"As the Lord of the West, it is necessary that I have power, in order to keep my subjects in line. My father raised me to train and focus my power, and now I have become the most powerful youkai in my land, and my power is more or less equal with the other youkai lords.

"As the future Lady of the West, althougn you will most likely not have to fight in the battles of our land, it is required that your power be close or equal to mine." Kagome didn't like the tension in his voice. "Because of this, it is required for you to engage in battle with me and either win, or fight until one of the other three lords, all of whom will be witnessing the battle, call a draw." Kagome's eyes went wide. She slammed the table.

"What?! I can't fight you!" Sesshomaru sighed.

"I told you to remain calm." Kagome balled her hands into fists.

"That's not fair! I don't want to fight you! I'm in love with you! How can that be a step in the ritual?!" Sesshomaru moved next to Kagome and held her hands in his.

"Kagome, calm down. There is a possible way around it." Kagome took a deep breath.

"Okay, what's that?" Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her hands.

"If you refuse to fight me, then . . . you must fight two of the other youkai lords." Kagome growled.

"That isn't fair either! Why can't I just fight one of them? You said your power is about equal to each of theirs', right?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"That is correct, but it is because you refused to perform the proper mating ritual step. It is considered a way of punishment for not following the rules of the land." Kagome groaned.

"Well, there's no way I'd ever fight you if I could help it, so I suppose I'll fight the two lords. Which ones will I have to fight?" Sesshomaru thought for a minute.

"It depends. I will have to discuss it with them. I have already told Jaken to send word to them about the fifth step, and they should all be here in a month or so." Kagome gave him a confused look.

"A month? Why not sooner?"

"You need time to train and increase your power. You and I will train as long as it takes, until I think you are strong enough, and then you will battle." Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I didn't expect this. I knew it wouldn't be good but . . . to battle the other lords . . . I suppose that if I can beat Naraku, then this shouldn't be too much of a task." Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her.

"Do not worry. I will not allow you to battle until I am sure that you are ready. As your future mate, I will protect you in every way I can." Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

oOo

"Damn it, Kyoko! Why didn't you tell me?!" Kyoko groaned. Inuyasha punched another tree. They were outside the cave that Inuyasha had found for them to live in, just outside the castle walls.

"Inuyasha, I wanted to, but you were with your friends. I didn't want them overhearing. I'm sorry, but it's partly your fault!" Inuyasha growled.

"You're the one who wanted to do it! You didn't care about the formalities!" Kyoko could feel the tears welling up.

"Does that mean . . . we should get rid of it?" Her tears spilled down her cheeks. She collapsed and started sobbing. Inuyasha sighed and bent down next to her. He used his sleeve to wipe away the tears.

"Don't cry, Kyoko. Please don't cry. We're not getting rid of it. I'm just . . . surprised. I never expected this. I suppose I should have been more careful, but . . . I don't know. You know I love you very much. I'm just not prepared for something this big, but I promise I'll try." He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry . . . for crying. I should have told you as soon as I found out." Inuyasha tightened his grip.

"That's okay. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I'll try my best, for the both of us."

oOo

"Mama, look!" Kagome laughed at the snow figure of an angry Jaken that Shippo and Rin had made. After three days at the castle, the first snow had finally fallen, and now five inches of snow covered the castle grounds.

Shippo and Rin had immediately gone outside to play, only to be forced back in by Kagome and given scarves and mittens that she had put in her backpack at home.

After the kids had gone outside to the garden, Kagome had tried to follow, assuming her kimono was enough to wear, but Sesshomaru had pulled her back in and made her put on two more layers.

It wasn't particularly cold out, but Kagome was glad now that she was wearing more than before. Sesshomaru sat next to her, staring into space. Kagome grinned as an incredibly dangerous, but fun, idea came into her head.

She scooped up some snow in her hand and began molding it into a sphere. She stood and stepped a few feet away from Sesshomaru. He noticed her movement and looked at her.

"Kagome, you're fingers will freeze if you play with snow. What are you doing?" Kagome stiffled a giggled.

"Nothing. Just . . . this!" She threw the snowball, which hit Sesshomaru square in the middle of his face. He used his sleeve to wipe away the snow and glared at her.

"I thought you said you did not want to fight me?" Kagome giggled.

"Not with swords, but I don't think you'll be harmed by snowballs. Unless, of course, you count your ego." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. Kagome was acting unusually foolish. He stood and grabbed a handful of snow.

"If that is how you wish to play, then I shall fight as well." He crafted the snow into a sphere, but Kagome was already running. He quickly went after her, snowball ready to fire.

Kagome scooped up snow as she ran, preparing to hit him back if he threw the snowball. She screamed as she felt something cold run down the back of her kimono. She turned, still running and fired back. Sesshomaru dodged and picked up more snow.

Kagome felt better than she had in a while. She felt _alive_. It had been a long time since she had _really _laughed. As they darted back and forth, Kagome could feel her spirits lifting. After the entire situation with the jewel, Kagome couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that her adventure was over, even after how long it had been.

"Ah!" Kagome cried out as a snowball hit her in the face. "You're dead for that!" She scooped up another handful of snow and threw it. It managed to hit Sesshomaru's shoulder before he moved swiftly to the left. Instead of throwing more snow, Sesshomaru picked up speed and went straight for Kagome. She screamed and started running again.

Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and pulled her into him, both of them crashing into the snow. Kagome laughed and curled into Sesshomaru, his arms tightening around her. She continued laughing, until she heard something. She stopped laughing and looked up at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru had a huge smile plastered on his face, and he was laughing. He was actually_ laughing_, a genuine, full-hearted laugh.

His laugh rumbled through the garden, causing servants to turn their heads. Shippo and Rin stopped what they were doing and looked over. Everyone had a look of surprise on their faces. Sesshomaru had never laughed like that, not even as a pup.

Even Kagome was amazed. This was nothing like the small chuckles that he would give her. This was a true laugh. Kagome had tried to picture it, but she never could. It was low, like his voice, but comforting. Kagome was sure that if even the saddest person listened to the way he was laughing now, they would feel better.

"S-Sesshomaru? Are you . . . laughing?" Sesshomaru kept laughing for a few more seconds, trying to regain his breath. When he was finally finished, he kissed Kagome and held her there until she fought to breath. Releasing her, Sesshomaru smiled again.

"Yes, I was laughing. I must thank you, for I have never been able to laugh like that." Kagome paused, gathering her thoughts.

"You've never laughed? How is that possible? I know that when you're older you wouldn't have, but not even when you were young? I saw a picture in the castle that showed you smiling when you were little." Sesshomaru sat up, bringing Kagome up with him.

"No, I was raised very strictly. There were not many situations where I would have laughed if I wanted to, and my father taught me to put up a strong image either way. I have also never thrown snow around in the manner we just did." Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, it's called a snowball fight. I used to have fights with my little brother every winter. I knew I'd be in trouble if I threw one at you, but I was willing to risk it." Kagome playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Sesshomaru grabbed her chin between his fingers.

"I assure you, this will not go without punishment. I will be sure to pay you back for this tonight, in my room." The smile was wiped off Kagome's face.

"A-And what would that mean?" Sesshomaru leaned in.

"You do not want to know." Kagome couldn't find her words. Sesshomaru obviously had something in mind that was different from what they had done before.

oOo

Shippo watched curiously as Kagome and Sesshomaru talked to each other, neither one noticing that they were sitting in frigid snow.

"Hey, Shippo, come here. I want to talk to you about something serious." Shippo looked at Rin, walking to her

Shippo's mind wandered as he walked over to her. He had always thought that Rin was cute, ever since he had first seen her. She always seemed to be happy, smiling a sweet smile that made him blush. She was fun and energetic, and Shippo enjoyed being with her.

Looking at Kagome and Sesshomaru, Shippo often imagined an older version of himself, holding Rin in his arms. Of course he knew fantasies like that weren't very realistic, since Rin never seemed to act in the shy, nervous manner that he did, leading him to believe that she didn't like him the same way he liked her.

"What is it?" Rin glanced at Kagome and Sesshomaru, and back at him.

"Do you want to go on a date?" Shippo froze.

"W-What? A date?" Rin giggled and nodded.

"You learned about them from Kagome, right? When two people like each other, they go out do to fun stuff together, right?" Shippo slowly nodded.

"But we're just friends, aren't we? It's not like we like each other that way." Rin looked down at the ground, beginning to play with her fingers.

"Well . . . I like you that way." Shippo was at a loss for words. His world seemed to be spinning around him.

"You . . . do?" Rin blushed and nodded.

"I tried to hide it. I wasn't sure if you liked me, so I tried to act normal." She looked up and smiled. "What about you?" Shippo couldn't think straight.

Shippo had felt this way about a few other girls while he had traveled with the group. In the early days of their adventure, he had met plenty of young, human girls who liked him. But Rin was different. Shippo didn't know why, but she wasn't like any of the other girls he had met. With her, his feelings were more intense than before.

"I . . . I really like you too, Rin." Rin's smile widened, and she threw her arms around Shippo in a hug.

"That's great! Then it's settled, we're going on a date!" She pulled back and giggled. Shippo smiled shyly.

"Yeah, it's great. Uh . . . where do you wanna go?" Rin put a finger to her lips, signaling him to be silent.

"Follow me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, out of the garden, and into the castle.

They walked for a long time. Shippo wished he knew the castle better. Rin had to lead him everywhere, and it made him feel helpless. He wanted to be the one helping Rin.

They turned another corner, and Rin forced them to pick up speed. Finally, when Shippo was sure they were on the other side of the castle, Rin stopped in front a large door. Letting go of Shippo's hand, she quietly opened the door and peeked inside. "Come on."

Grabbing his hand again, Rin led Shippo inside, making sure the door was close.

"Wow!" That was all Shippo could think of to say.

In front of them were dozens of vases, all growing various plants. There were flowers of all shapes and colors, even some that weren't in the garden.

"You like it? I planted most of them myself, with a little help from some of the servants. When I'm not here, there's a girl who tends to them, but now I can finally start working again. The windows are always kept closed to keep out the cold, and this room is close to one of the rooms that keeps a fire going to heat the castle, so it's warmer in here. It helps the plants live." Shippo walked around, looking at the flowers.

"This is impressive, Rin." She giggled and walked to the wall opposite of where Shippo was. She stroked the stem of a small strawberry plant.

"I'm a little surprised that some of these plants live during the winter, but I try hard to make sure they do. Sometimes a few of them die, but for the most part, they're sturdy plants."

Shippo stood next to her, admiring her work. He had never pictured Rin as a gardener, although the castle garden was always where she wanted to go play.

"Is this place a secret?" Rin shook her head.

"No, not really. The servants who help me know about it, and Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken know. I want to show Kagome too, but I wanted to make sure you saw it first." Shippo smiled.

"Thanks for showing me. This is nice. But how is this a date?" Rin giggled again.

"We're in a garden, silly. Gardens a very romantic." Rin sighed, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Shippo, can I give you something?" Shippo raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. What is it?" Rin faced him.

"Close you eyes." Shrugging, Shippo obeyed her. Rin sighed again, playing with her fingers the way she always did when she was nervous.

"I can't do it!" Rin groaned and slumped on the floor. Shippo opened his eyes and looked at her.

"You can't do what?" Rin looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Shippo. Usually things are easy for me. I don't know why I can't do it." Shippo knelt down next to her.

"Do what?" Rin looked him in the eyes. Summoning all of her courage, she closed her eyes and kissed Shippo.

-End-

Hey SessKag fans!! I'm really really really really really really sorry for taking so long, but our internet isn't working very well, and it took me a long time to write this chapter.

Yay!! Yahoo! thanks so much to all of you, I finally have over 900 reviews!! Thank you! All of your reviews are so appreciated! Thank you thank you thank you!!

I hope you guys all liked this chapter, but I have some bad news. You see, I may have . . . writer's block. insert terrified readers' screams

I'm sorry, but I'm just having a lot of trouble thinking of what to write for the next chapter. And that's why, for the next chapter, I want you ideas! Yes, that's right, the next chapter is readers' choice! Just send a review and tell me what you think the next chapter should be! Maybe, if you guys want (and I know I said I probably wouldn't do this again, but . . .) I can have another lemony chapter between Sess and Kags! But I don't make any promises.

So! Send your reviews, and please help me write another chapter! Please please please review! Review review review review! Okay, I have to go now, but I promise I'll update as soon as possible! Please review! I'll see you later, bye!


	41. Lord Tatsuya

"What?!" Miroku looked at Sango as if she had asked him to move a mountain.

"I said we have to clean the entire village, and I meant it! Here!" She tossed him a broom, and Miroku, still not believing her, clumsily caught it.

After leaving their friends, Kirara had flown them to the Youkai Slayers village.

During their adventure, Sango had gone back to visit the village, and Miroku had come with her a few times, but in the last year they had spent in their search, Sango had stopped visiting, trying to focus on the jewel more than her empty home. Now that the jewel was complete, she had a chance to clean the village and start the Youkai Slaying business again.

Miroku groaned. Although he had been to the village, he had never taken the time to look around and explore it, and had never realized how big it really was. Cleaning the entire village would take days, maybe even weeks.

"I'll clean the weapon storages." Grabbing a broom, Kohaku ran off, eager to help clean his home. Sango, holding her own broom, glared at Miroku.

"Miroku, stop whining. I know that the village is big, but I want to make sure that we can get the village going again. I want to continue my family's legacy, and that means that we can't have dirt and grime all over the place. We're going to start with sweeping the buildings, and then we can wash them. Then we'll organize everything and discard all of the unwanted waste. I can tell that more than a few animals have been here." Miroku lazily nodded.

"I understand, Sango. Where should I begin?" Sango looked around.

"Start with the houses, where people used to live. They'll be easy to spot, they're the bigger buildings. When you finish sweeping them, take a bucket down to the river and gather water, and then use a cloth to wash the inside." Miroku nodded again.

"Of course, my dear Sango. I will dutifully clean as best I can." Sango was about to hit him for his sarcasm, but decided against it. Miroku, after seeing that Sango wasn't going to hit him, walked away to start his chores.

Sango waited until he was out of sight, and then turned to look at what she would be cleaning.

It was the place where she had grown up, through sad times, and happy times, enjoying the company of her family and friends, where she had met Kirara for the first time, and the last thing she had seen in the village before her family was killed. It was her house.

Walking up the steps, memories flooded Sango's mind. This happened every time she approached the house, but it had been over a year since she had last seen it. The old wood creaked underneath her weight. Opening the door, Sango walked into the uncomfortable emptiness that filled the building. Not even the scratches of the mice that were usually here were not to be heard. Entering the first room she came across, Sango suddenly remembered something strange.

oOo

"_Kohaku! Kohaku!" Sango ran after her brother, straining to keep up. "That's not fair, Kohaku! Come down!" Kohaku looked down from his seat on Kirara, laughing. _

"_Catch me!" Sango panted, trying not to trip over her own feet. _

"_Kirara, down!" Obeying her new master, Kirara flew to the ground, despite Kohaku's protests. Sango smiled and pushed Kohaku to the ground. "Cheater! I told you you're not allowed to use Kirara during tag!" Kohaku laughed and stood. _

"_You should have seen the look on your face!" Sango put her hands on her hips. Even though he was only six, Kohaku acted as arrogant as a ten-year-old. At thirteen, Sango was tired of taking care of him, but he was also fun to be with, and Sango couldn't help but love him. There were times when Kohaku was too cute to resist. _

"_I'm done with this game!" Sango sat on the grass, looking out at the village only a few hundred feet away. Their father allowed them to leave the village and play on the hills, as long as Kirara was with them. _

_Kohaku sat beside her, and Kirara detransformed, jumping into her lap. Sango smiled and stroked the kitten. Sango had loved Kirara from the first day she had been given to her. _

"_I wish Kirara could have kittens." Sango looked at her brother. _

"_Why?" Kohaku smiled. _

"_Then I could have my own cat youkai to fly on." Sango laughed. _

"_Maybe we'll find a male cat youkai for Kirara, but Dad said that this kind of cat is rare." Kohaku stroked Kirara's ears. _

"_Do you want to have kids?" Sango raised her eyebrow. _

"_You're only six. Why do you care about that kind of stuff?" He shrugged. _

"_Do you?" Sango though about it._

"_Sure, but only if I meet the right person first." _

"_What do you mean by that?" Sango put Kirara in her brother's lap. _

"_I have to meet the perfect guy first. I don't want children from a person I don't like." _

"_What kind of man do you like?" Sango was surprised by her brother's curiosity. She knew he loved to ask questions, but he was too young to know about these kind of things. Most boys his age didn't like the idea of girls and being with them. _

"_Well, I suppose he'd have to be a slayer, like Dad. He has to be strong, and smart. And he can't be a pervert. I think those men are gross."_

"_What's a pervert?" Sango sighed. There were so many things Kohaku didn't know. _

"_That's a man that women don't like because he's mean to them." That explanation was simple enough to satisfy her brother until she could explain what a pervert really was. _

"_Okay, that makes sense."_

"_Why do you care? I thought you didn't like that stuff." Kohaku shrugged again. _

"_I just wanted to know."_

oOo

Sango laughed at herself as she swept. Miroku was almost the complete opposite of what she had wanted when she was young. But there were some things he had that she liked. Miroku was kind, understanding, wise, forgiving, strong and, to a certain extent, smart. Actually, there were many things she liked about him. Although he was a pervert, Sango had somehow found a way past that.

The dust gathered around her, and Sango struggled to keep it in a neat pile. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Someone was coming inside. She knew it was probably Miroku or Kohaku, but her instincts kicked in, and, the broom being in her hand at the moment, Sango held it up in front of her. As the door opened, she sighed and put the broom down.

"Sango, you don't trust me? Just because I am lecherous is no reason to hit me with a broom." Sango glared at Miroku.

"First, it's a perfectly good reason, and second, aren't you supposed to be cleaning the houses?" Miroku smiled and grabbed Sango around the waist, pulling her to him.

"My dear Sango, I couldn't bear to be without you." Sango pushed him away.

"Can't you stay focused for one minute?" Miroku laughed.

"Not with you away from me." He grabbed her hand and gently rubbed his fingers against hers. Sango couldn't help but smile. No matter how much of an idiot he could be, Miroku could always make her smile.

oOo

"Damn it! Can't that pompous jerk take one minute out of his life to pay attention to important stuff?!" Inuyasha paced back and forth across the entrance hall, Kyoko leaning against the wall. After discussing it, they had decided to tell Sesshomaru and Kagome about Kyoko's situation, and ask if they could stay in the castle. A cave was no place for a pregnant woman.

"Inuyasha, please calm down. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru's errands are more important than seeing us." Inuyasha snarled.

"No! I have to take care of you, and getting you a proper place to stay is the first thing to do! I swear, if he doesn't show up in the next minute, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Inuyasha stopped pacing and glared at his older brother, with Kagome by his side.

"Inuyasha, is something the matter? Sesshomaru was in the middle of an important discussion." In reality, giving a speech to Shippo about 'women' wasn't very important, but Sesshomaru had insisted he talk to Shippo after seeing him kiss Rin in the garden.

"Yeah, we need to talk. Sesshomaru, I know you don't want me here, but I don't give a damn! Kyoko needs to stay here for a while." Sesshomaru glanced at Kyoko, who had slumped into a sitting position.

"And for what reason?" Inuyasha growled. This would be embarrassing for both him and Sesshomaru. He and Kyoko had skipped the mating ritual, which was a disgrace to them and each of their families. Even if Sesshomaru hated Inuyasha, he was still family, and this was a serious matter.

"She's . . . pregnant." Kagome gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Pregnant? But . . . what about the mating ritual? Does that apply to hanyous?" Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah, it does. But Kyoko and I were so much in love, and she said she didn't care about the mating ritual. I can't believe I was so stupid! I knew it was dangerous. Anyway, we've been living in a cave, but it's not good for her to live there in her condition." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru.

"Can they stay? It wouldn't be fair to force them to live outside." Sesshomaru looked at her pleading eyes. It was obvious that Kagome had a weakness for children, even those who hadn't been born yet. He looked back at his brother. It was bad enough that he had skipped the ritual, but if Sesshomaru forced his brother and mate outside when he could easily help them, it would be even worse. The other youkai lords would most likely ridicule him.

"I will allow it. You may stay in the bedroom two doors down from mine. I will send a servant to show you to your room. If you need anything, ask a servant." Turning to go back to his study, he stopped when Kagome didn't follow. He looked back and saw that she was helping Kyoko stand.

"Kyoko, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how long will it take for the pup to be born?" Kyoko smiled as Inuyasha grabbed her arm, ready to help her.

"Well, let me think. A tiger youkai cub is born in a month or so, and an Inu youkai pup is born in nine months, so . . . maybe five or six months, but it's only an estimate."

"An Inu youkai is born in nine months?" Inuyasha nodded.

"It's the same time as a human, so there isn't any time difference when an Inu hanyou is born. Tiger youkai develop very fast, but they tend to be smaller than Inu youkai children." Kagome tried to register this information.

"So, the baby will be one-fourth human, one-fourth Inu youkai, and half tiger youkai?" Inuyasha nodded.

"That's how it should work. I'd be surprised if it was otherwise. Anyway, thanks for letting us stay here." Kagome smiled.

"It isn't a problem. We have plenty of room here, and I would hate to have Kyoko outside like this."

"Kagome." She turned to Sesshomaru. He waved her over. Kagome smiled at them again.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do something. The servant should be here to help you in a minute." Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome went back to Sesshomaru.

It pleased Kagome to know that when she had children, she would still be pregnant for nine months. She had been worried that her pregnancy would be shorter or longer because of her youkai transformation, and that might be an adjustment for her. Most of her life she had looked forward to marrying and having the regular nine-month pregnancy that normal humans had.

"You seemed intrigued by the amount of time an Inu youkai is pregnant. Were you worried about something?" Kagome smiled at Sesshomaru.

"I'm just happy that I'll be able to be pregnant the amount of time I thought I would when I was

human. It'll help when . . . well, when we have kids." Even knowing that Sesshomaru would be her mate, it still made Kagome nervous to talk about this kind of thing with him.

"I am glad that you are happy. In truth, Inu youkai are more similar to humans than most other youkai. It is one of the facts that I used to resent about myself." Kagome's face fell.

"You used to resent yourself?" Sesshomaru looked down at her. He felt a twinge at his heartstrings when he saw the sorrowful look in her eyes.

"Not particularly. Do not worry." He took her hand, and Kagome's face lit up somewhat. She tightened her grip on his hand.

"Are you sure?" Sesshomaru nodded.

oOo

Kyoko sighed contentedly as she settled into the bed.

"You know, you could be a little more patient. You didn't have to rush me down here. I'm fine. After all, I'm only one or two weeks along, and I'm not even showing."

"I'll worry when I want to. Right now I just want to make sure you're in a safe place." He kneeled down next to her. Kyoko smiled. Inuyasha sighed. "Kyoko, my whole life, I've screwed up. I screwed it up with my mother, with Kikyo, with Kagome . . . and now I finally have a chance to do something right. I want to make sure nothing bad happens." Inuyasha placed his hand on Kyoko's stomach.

"You'll be fine. I know you'll make a wonderful father. When it's time to worry, you can worry all you want, but for now, I'm fine." Inuyasha kissed her gently.

"Yes, you're fine, but you're also pregnant. It's my job to worry." He jumped when someone knocked. "And part of that job is knowing when someone's at the door. Come in!" The door opened, and Shippo poked his head in. Rin followed him, both of them sitting next to the bed.

"Hi Inuyasha. I heard about Kyoko. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Inuyasha looked at the door, smelling Kagome's scent. She opened the door and smiled.

"Hi. I wanted to make sure you two were okay. Do you need anything?" Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome sat down and smiled at Kyoko. "How are you feeling?" Kyoko smiled.

"Fine. Inuyasha is being a worry wort for no reason."

"Hey! I have a perfectly good reason!" Kyoko laughed.

"Yes, I know. Kagome, I want to thank you again for letting us stay here. We'll be out as soon as the pup is born."

"Oh, no! Don't leave! You're welcome to stay as long as you please."

"Thank you. Also, if it isn't too much trouble, I wanted to take a bath-"

"I'll take you there right now. We can bathe together, if you want." Kyoko nodded.

"That sounds lovely." Kagome stood and helped Kyoko up. "Inuyasha, try not to panic while I'm gone." Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Like I would! Just go and bathe. I trust Kagome to take care of you." Kagome opened the door, and led Kyoko down the halls.

"I can't believe Inuyasha is going to be a father. He doesn't seem like someone who would raise children." Kyoko chuckled.

"Yes, well, I suppose not. But he is protective of me. I think he will make a good father. And I hope that we can be good friends during our stay."

"Of course! It's nice to have another girl to talk to. There is a servant, Koneko, that I'm friends with, but she's often busy, and it's hard to find time to talk to her. Here we are." Kagome opened the door to the hot spring and led Kyoko in. "You can set your clothes here," Kagome pointed to a bench, while grabbing towels for them.

As the girls settled into the water, they sighed in pleasure. Although Kagome had taken a bath earlier, after training, it still felt good. Kyoko took some water in her hands and poured it over her head.

"This is very relaxing. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but you don't have to keep thanking me. Here," Kagome handed Kyoko some soap to wash with. As Kyoko rubbed the soap on her arms, she decided to strike up conversation.

"Kagome, I have told you how I met Inuyasha, but I am curious to know how you met Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome blushed.

"How I met him? Well . . . it's complicated. You see, when we met, I was traveling with Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru had . . . how do I put this? He was trying to kill Inuyasha." Kyoko laughed.

"Inuyasha told me about that." Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, Sesshomaru was angry with Inuyasha for some reason. After that, we met on several occasions, but he was always just trying to kill Inuyasha. I didn't like him." Kyoko sunk into the the water to wash

the soap off.

"He wasn't your type?" Kagome laughed and shook her head.

"No. Actually, for the first two years of traveling, I was in love with Inuyasha. But then he declared loyalty and love to Kikyo, a priestess he used to know. She's not alive anymore. When he declared his love, I was heart-broken, even though I knew he was in love with her the whole time. After that, I found my Flower of Fate." Kyoko gasped.

"The Flower of Fate?! That's a legend among my kind! I didn't think it existed."

"I thought it was strange too. It's supposed to have a something in common with my destined mate, but the only thing I noticed about it was the color, which matches the crescent moon mark that Sesshomaru has." Kyoko pointed to Kagome's forehead.

"You have it as well." Kagome nodded.

"Yes. It appeared on my head one morning, the morning I turned into a youkai."

"You mean . . . you used to be human? Inuyasha never told me that."

oOo

After they finished bathing, and Kagome had told Kyoko the whole story, they dressed and walked back to Kyoko's room.

"As you can see, Sesshomaru and I are an odd pair."

"I think it's romantic." Kagome looked at her, puzzled.

"How?" Kyoko smiled.

"You two grew to love each other, and you melted the heart of an cold youkai lord. It's almost like you were born for each other, which, because of the Flower of Fate, is exactly the case. It's too bad the flower was reduced to a single petal."

"Yeah, I do wish I could've kept the flower. But I like the insignia on the petal."

"Inuyasha, we're back," Kyoko opened the door to their room. Inuyasha was still seated by the bed, and the kids were gone. Kyoko sat on the bed and pecked Inuyasha on the cheek.

"Hey, Kyoko. Did you have a nice bath?" Kyoko nodded and turned to Kagome.

"Thank you for helping me." Kagome smiled and nodded.

"Anytime. I have to go now, but I'll check on you later." Kyoko waved as Kagome closed the

door and walked down the hall.

oOo

"Darn it!" Kagome slumped against the tree, panting. Sesshomaru sat next to her.

"Kagome, you must relax. This will take time." Kagome growled. This was aggravating on all levels, and she was ready to quit. But she couldn't quit. If she wanted to avoid hurting Sesshomaru, she had to do this.

Two days had passed since Inuyasha and Kyoko had come. Ever since Sesshomaru had told Kagome about the rest of the mating ritual, Sesshomaru had been training Kagome to use her true form, to transform into the form that Sesshomaru had mastered.

"I know, I know. I just want to be able to fight these youkai lords so I can be with you. I want to be your mate, but I'm not going to fight you if I can help it, so I have to be ready for the youkai lords." The sun was coming up now, and the bitter chill in the air was fading. Although it was winter, her training heated up Kagome's blood, and now she wished she could sink into the snow. "On a scale of one to ten, how powerful would you rate the strength of each youkai lord?"

Sesshomaru was puzzled by Kagome's question. He did not know what she meant by a 'scale', but he he was fairly sure that she wanted an estimate on their power. Many of Kagome's references puzzled him, because she often used terms from her home when she was talking with him. He was still struggling to uderstand the concept of 'television.' How could someone watch what a person was doing without being in front of them directly?

Sesshomaru hoped that, once they were done with the mating ritual and had some free time, Kagome would take him to her home and tell him more about the strange inventions she had. Now that he thought of it, he still wasn't sure if the Bone Eater's Well would let him through without the jewel. _I would hope that I am able to. I am curios as to why her mother is so calm when it comes to her daughter's relationship with me. I would have thought that she would make more of a fuss. __**Of course you'll be able to go through the well! You're Kagome's mate! **__Must you appear all of the time? I am not her mate yet. __**You've said that before, and as I said before, 'yet' is the key word. **_"Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru was jostled out of his thoughts.

"If I was to estimate the strength of the youkai lords, I would say that they are on the number nine." Kagome sighed.

"That's what I was afraid of." Sesshomaru put his arm around her shoulder.

"But I would easily estimate myself on the number eleven, and I will make sure your power is equal to mine before you fight." Kagome smiled.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I have never seen you act so tender towards another!" Kagome, taken by surprise, looked at the sky, where the voice had come from.

"He hid his scent," Sesshomaru mumbled under his breath. He hated it when he couldn't smell someone, and _he _did it whenever he wanted to annoy Sesshomaru.

In the sky, a glowing sphere, much like Sesshomaru's, materialized and descended. They both stood and watched as the sphere faded away, and revealed the Lord of the South.

Lord Tatsuya smiled as Kagome looked at him with confusion, Sesshomaru with annoyance.

"Hello, Lord Sesshomaru. I can see that you are pleased to see me. And I assume that this lovely young maiden is Kagome?" Lord Tatsuya grinned, sending a shiver down Kagome's spine. There was nothing, not even his scent, that Kagome liked about this man.

"Yes, I am Kagome. May I ask who you are?" Lord Tatsuya looked at Sesshomaru.

"You didn't tell her about me? I feel hurt. Lady Kagome, I am Lord Tatsuya of the Southern Lands." He bowed, and Kagome, quickly remembering her manners, bowed as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Kagome hated lying, but she had been raised to be polite. After she had stood up straight again, Sesshomaru decided to take over the conversation. He didn't want to hear Lord Tatsuya's sarcastic remarks more than he had to.

"Lord Tatsuya, why are you here? Kagome's battle is not scheduled for a month. You should not be here." Lord Tatsuya laughed.

"I wanted to drop by early and meet the future Lady of the West that I had heard so much about. So I can assume that everything worked out after I was here last?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru.

"He was here before?"

"Do not worry about that. Lord Tatsuya, you are not welcome in my home at this time. You are not required to be here, and I suggest you leave soon." Lord Tatsuya kept his evil grin on his face.

"I am staying. I have agreed with the other youkai lords to stay here until the fight. The other two will be here in a day or so. We all want to get to know Lady Kagome personally, even Lord Rei, who has met her already. Now you wouldn't be so rude as to force all of us to leave, would you?" Sesshomaru growled. It was just like Lord Tatsuya to trick the other lords into coming with him. He knew that Sesshomaru couldn't refuse them all.

"Fine. But you are to leave Kagome alone is she wishes." Lord Tatsuya nodded.

"Perfectly understandable. If I may, I wish to speak with Kagome alone, after your breakfast is served to you. Is that all right?" Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. She smiled.

"I'll be fine, Sesshomaru. After all, he's a royal, isn't he? I'm sure he's nice enough."

Sesshomaru, knowing what Kagome really meant, which was 'I'll kill him if he does anything to me', nodded. Turning to Lord Tatsuya, he nodded again.

"Thank you. I will go to the castle now, and I will wait until you are done with breakfast, and then speak to Kagome. I won't be attending breakfast myself, I just ate. Lady Kagome, it was nice to finally meet you," Lord Tatsuya bowed and walked away.

"He seemed . . . interesting. You don't like him, do you?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"Lord Tatsuya has no record of doing anything against the law, but he does not care for me. He and my father were on bad terms, and he takes his anger for my father out on me. He claims that my father promised him half of our lands, and never gave it to him. I have gone through the land trade records myself, and there is no such promise written in them, which makes the promise null and void, whether it is true or not." Kagome flexed her hand.

"He gives me a bad vibe. It feels like he's up to something, and he talks very sarcastically."

"When he talks with you, make sure that he does not do anything to you, and if he does, don't hesitate to hurt him, or call me. The law states that you cannot hurt a royal for no specific reason, but if you were assaulted first, then you have grounds to attack." Kagome nodded.

"I understand. I may not have enough training for the fight, but if I defeated Naraku, I know I can stop any underhanded tricks a youkai with a grudge might have."

-End-

Hey peoples!! I'm so so so so very very very sorry that this chapter took a long time!! It was hard to right with writer's block!!

Thanks so much for all of your ideas! They helped a lot!! I hope you liked this chapter!!

I'm sorry to everyone who was looking forward to the lemon, but I have officially decided that there will NO LEMONS until the actual mating! Again, I apologize.

And so Lord Tatsuya shows up again! To those of you who may not remember, yes, he has appeared before, and yes, he is an evil jerk! Now there is only one youkai lord that's left for Kagome to meet.

The story is going to get even more interesting. Kyoko will go through her pregnancy (and Inuyasha will hate it), Kagome will work on her still developing powers, Rin and Shippo will get into some antics, and I'm gonna work hard to make sure that this story lasts 50 chapters!!

Thank you so much!! Please please please review!! Review review review review!! Please review! I'll try hard to make sure the next chapter comes up soon! Thank you, and please review! Bye-Bye!


	42. Defeated

Lord Tatsuya waited patiently while Kagome, along with the rest of the people from the castle, ate breakfast. He couldn't wait to talk to Kagome. If it went well, she wouldn't be engaged to Sesshomaru for much longer, and Sesshomaru would pay for not keeping his promise. Lord Tatsuya's lands were not ideal for him, and if he had obtained the lands Inu Taishou had promised him, his land would have been doubled.

Kagome eyed Lord Tatsuya warily, trying her best to look nonchalant. He was waiting by the door, ready for his talk with her. It was times like this that Kagome wished she could predict the future, because from the look on his face, Lord Tatsuya couldn't be planning something that Kagome was going to enjoy. He might even be planning to hurt her, in which case, as Sesshomaru had explained earlier, he would lose his lands and his position as a Lord.

Seshomaru had told Kagome about Lord Tatsuya during the rest of their training that morning, and Lord Tatsuya, although he had strength, was looked down upon by the other lords because he had barely any land, and because of that, he also had fewer subjects, which meant a smaller army. His father before him had started many fights with the other lords, and traded away much of his land for help resolving these fights.

As she finished her food, Kagome wiped her face and, hoping she was presentable, stood and faced Lord Tatsuya.

"Lady Kagome, are you finished with your meal?" Kagome merely nodded. She was being as careful as possible around him. Sesshomaru had made it extremely clear that he could be up to no good, showing up this early.

"Where would you like to speak?" Lord Tatsuya rested his cheek on his hand.

"I do not mind where, so long as we are alone. And out of your mate's hearing range." Lord Tatsuya glanced back at Sesshomaru, who glared back.

"The library, then. I think I know where it is, if you would be so kind as to follow me." Lord Tatsuya nodded, following close behind Kagome as they walked. It was almost too close for comfort. They were silent as they walked. The tension almost made Kagome want to scream. She hated it when it was this tense between people. Even the servants who walked by only bowed briefly before scampering off as fast as they could.

When they reached the library, Kagome sat on a chair, with Lord Tatsuya opposite her. His green eyes seemed to be glowing, and she could see his fangs as he smiled at her. Inuyasha's fangs had never bothered her, and even when Sesshomaru had tried to kill her, his fangs had never seemed very scary. But everything about Lord Tatsuya made her want to shudder, especially his fangs.

"I suppose I should come out and say what I wanted to talk about. You see, Lady Kagome, I'm not quite sure you should be the Lady of the West. I don't think a former human is fit for that title." Kagome was caught off guard. She had not expected this. She drew her eyebrows together in anger.

"I mean no offense, but Sesshomaru and I love each other, and I think I can handle being Lady of the West." Lord Tatsuya chuckled.

"I suppose you would think that, seeing as how you defeated Naraku." Kagome's expression changed from anger to surprise. "News travels, and I have my sources. Naraku was a powerful and bothersome youkai for many people, and it was almost impossible for me not to hear of his defeat. But you should know," Lord Tatsuya leaned in closer to her, which only made Kagome more uncomfortable, despite the fact that the chairs were a good three feet apart. "Fighting is different from ruling. And after an eternity, you may become frusterated with it."

"I assure you that I can handle it. I am prepared to live out my life as a youkai. I do not think this is any of your business anyway. I'm leaving." Kagome stood, but was quickly blocked by Lord Tatsuya's arm.

"I didn't say we were finished. Sit back down." Kagome growled. Lord Tatsuya didn't budge.

"I am not talking about such personal matters with you. It is my business on how I plan to rule." Lord Tatsuya shoved her back. Kagome's anger flared.

"You will stay here and listen to me. You are not the Lady of the West yet, and I have more power over you!" Grabbing her arms, Lord Tatsuya shoved Kagome against the wall, pinning her there.

"Let go!" Kagome wanted to purify his ass, but she didn't want to cause trouble for herself. It was a serious offense to hurt a royal family member, and Lord Tatsuya hadn't physically hurt her so far, but she was ready to hurt him when she had the chance.

"Tell me, what do you see in Lord Sesshomaru? Why do you hold feelings for him?" Kagome growled again.

"That isn't your business." Lord Tatsuya leaned in, leaving only inches of space between their faces.

"You aren't that bad looking. I don't think it would hurt me to sully Lord Sesshomaru's future mate. That way, he would never be able to claim you." Before Kagome could figure out what he meant, Lord Tatsuya crushed his lips against hers in a rough kiss.

Kagome immediately tried to push him away. Never had she thought he would try and pull something like this. Lord Tatsuya remained in his spot, not moving. He pushed his body against hers, putting his hand on her back and pushing her closer to him. As he tried to open her mouth with his tongue, Kagome bit down on it. "Ah!" Lord Tatsuya drew back, freeing Kagome.

"How dare you!" Kagome raised her hand to him, summoning her powers. "You are not my mate, and I won't stand for this!" Her hand began to glow red, and fear drew into Lord Tatsuya's eyes. He had never faced a miko before, and an angry miko was ten times worse than a normal miko.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru burst through the door. After hearing her yell, he had come as quickly as possible. "Kagome, what are you doing?! What happened?!" He ran over to her and grabbed her hand. Kagome, feeling Sesshomaru's hand, calmed down. "Kagome, what happened?" Sesshomaru turned her to face him. But Kagome turned away, glaring at Lord Tatsuya.

"He tried to rape me!" Sesshomaru glared at Lord Tatsuya, who was still seething from his bleeding tongue. Sesshomaru didn't care about the reason, Lord Tatsuya had violated the most sacred of all the laws. No one was allowed to even try to take a woman who had already been claimed by a royal family member.

"Lord Tatsuya! You are banned from my castle, and you may not come in contact with Kagome again!" Lord Tatsuya stood and smiled.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I believe I can justify-"

"OUT!" Lord Tatsuya jumped from the volume of Sesshomaru's voice. He could see the red seeping into his eyes.

"Now, now, Lord Sesshomaru, I realize that he has broken a law, but you must calm down before you pass judgement." Kagome turned around to see Lord Rei standing in the doorway.

"Lord Rei! You're here!" Lord Rei smiled and walked up to them, standing next to Sesshomaru, who was starting to calm down.

"When Lord Tatsuya wanted to come here early, and insisted the rest of us to come, I assumed that he had good intentions, but from what I have seen, this is not the case." Sesshomaru growled.

"Lord Rei, give me one reason why I shouldn't slaughter Lord Tatsuya right here." Lord Rei placed a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"The law states that if a royal family member claims or tries to claim a female who is already mated or is going to mate another royal family member, all of the youkai lords must have a meeting and decide the punishment. In this case, only three of us will be in the meeting. Lord Tatsuya, do you realize the crime you just tried to commit?" Lord Tatsuya chuckled. Sesshomaru growled, annoyed that he could still laugh.

"It is not my fault. Lady Kagome made the first move. She kissed me."

"Liar! I wouldn't kiss you if my life depended on it!" Lord Rei sighed. He could feel the anger coming from both Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"Lord Tatsuya, this is inexcusable, and you are disqualified from the fight." Kagome turned to Lord Rei.

"He was going to be one of the Lords I was going to fight?" Lord Rei nodded.

"Yes, he and the Lord of the East were going to fight you. I didn't want to, because you seemed so kind when we met before, but now I will be forced to. There aren't any other lords. Unless you change your mind about Lord Sesshomaru," Lord Rei looked at her hopefully.

"No way." He chuckled, seeing Kagome's immediate response.

"Oh well. I wouldn't expect you to fight him. I suppose I should have seen this coming when Lord Tatsuya insisted we leave this soon. I wasn't thinking of the grudge he still holds. We were all flying together, and when we were near the castle, he took off. It took us a while to catch up. The Lord of the East should be here shortly." As he said this, a new scent reached Kagome's nose. It was familiar, but different at the same time. "Ah, yes, that would be him." Lord Rei turned to the doorway, and Kagome followed his gaze, and gasped.

"Koga?!" Lord Rei burst out laughing. Kagome glanced at him, and back at the man in the doorway. "Why are you laughing?" Lord Rei pulled himself together, still chuckling.

"If you speak of Koga of the Wolves, this is not him. Look closely." Kagome did what he said. Looking closer, she could see that this man was not Koga, but he looked similar.

He had the same dark black hair, pulled into the same ponytail, but he didn't wear a headband. His eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue than Koga's. Kagome almost laughed at herself for not noticing his outfit, because it was completely different from Koga's. The only thing he wore that looked like Koga's outfit was the armor, which was made the same way, but looked somewhat stronger, and the rest of his outfit consisted of a proper shirt and hakama. He also had the same brown, bushy tail swinging back and forth behind him.

"My name is Lord Koga of the East. I see that you know my son, leader of the Eastern wolf tribe." Walking up to her, Lord Koga took Kagome's hand and gently kissed it. "You must be Lady Kagome. I have heard much of you from Lord Rei. Pleased to meet you." Kagome smiled and bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. So," she said, standing up, "You gave Koga the same name that you have?" Lord Koga nodded.

"Yes, it is a tradition in my family for the first born son to receive his father's name. May I ask how you know him?" Kagome blushed slightly.

"He, uh, 'courted' me for a while, but I rejected him. We're still friends." _I hope! The incident with Sesshomaru might have angered him. _Kagome thought back to the way they had forcefully taken the shards from him.

"Ah, so you are the female he told me so much about! He was always telling me about you, but he never said your name. I assume, then, that you are also the maiden who took his shards and restored the jewel?" Kagome nervously rubbed her hands together. _Is he mad at me for that? _"I want to thank you. Those jewel shards were making him too cocky. He needed some sense knocked into him."

"Excuse me, but if we are done with the chit-chat, we need to face the task at hand," Lord Rei gestured to Lord Tatsuya, who appeared to be bored and was sitting in a chair, tipping himself backward and then setting the chair down again, like a child. "Lady Kagome, if you would be so kind as to inform us to the whole story." Kagome, glaring at Lord Tatsuya, sighed.

"Lord Tatsuya had asked to speak to me privately, and I came here after I had finished eating. He told me that he didn't think I was capable of becoming Lady of the West, and I tried to politely ask him to leave and tell him that my position as Sesshomaru's future mate was none of his business. He then shoved me against the wall and kissed me. He was trying to rape me." Kagome tried to stay calm, disgusted by the thought of anything with Lord Tatsuya.

"You brought that on yourself, Lady Kagome. You're too beautiful for your own good. I couldn't resist," Lord Tatsuya licked his lips. Kagome shuddered, and Sesshomaru put his arm around her shoulder. Lord Rei turned to Lord Tatsuya, who had stood from the chair, and now seemed to be examining his nails. It annoyed Sesshomaru that he could be so calm.

"Lord Sesshomaru, would it be all right with you if we held a meeting on this?" Sesshomaru nodded, holding Kagome closer to himself. Lord Rei cleared his throat. "Lord Tatsuya, you are hereby held under arrest until further notice. Lord Sesshomaru, will it be all right if we use one of your prison cells to hold Lord Tatsuya?"

"Gladly. Guards!" Within seconds, three guards appeared in the room. "Take Lord Tatsuya to the prison." As the guards, baffled about what had happened, but obeying, took Lord Tatsuya away, he kept smiling, annoying Sesshomaru further.

"You may lock me up, but I will have my revenge, Lord Sesshomaru. You can count on that." Sesshomaru growled at him as he was taken away.

"Now, let's discuss his punishment. Lord Sesshomaru, lead the way to your study." Sesshomaru nodded to Lord Koga and, keeping Kagome close to him, left the library.

oOo

"We all know that Lord Tatsuya doesn't like Lord Sesshomaru. It is clear that he was trying to claim Lady Kagome before Lord Sesshomaru, because, even without the mating ritual, she would have been marked as his. The law against this is one of the most important laws we have. Lord Sesshomaru, I realize what you would like the punishment to be, but this may be too drastic. Lord Koga?" Everyone had been listening intently to Lord Rei until now. Lord Koga cleared his throat.

"I believe I am sided with Lord Sesshomaru. Stealing a loved one, for the one who loves them, can feel worse than death. Because Lord Tatsuya doesn't love his mate, and would not care if we took her away to make it even, I think we should use the next worst thing, death." No one spoke. Kagome thought it was touching, that Lord Koga thought that love was worth more than life, but the way he said it made it clear that he had gone through the experience of losing love himself. She couldn't help wondering what had happened to him. But she was also wondering why Lord Tatsuya had been so calm and had let himself be locked up.

"Well, I'm not sure if death is right. Let us think about this longer. Lord Tatsuya's son is but a pup, and cannot rule for many years. Who would take care of his lands if he was gone?"

"I'll do it." Everyone turned to Sesshomaru, surprised.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Lord Rei was as perplexed as everyone else. Sesshomaru was the one who wanted Lord Tatsuya gone more than the rest of them, he was sure of that.

"Anything to have him gone. If that means watching over the Southern lands for some time, then so be it." Kagome sighed, not wanting to do something to help Lord Tatsuya, but, if it was to get rid of him, she could manage being the Lady of the West and South for a little while. It surprised her that she was so willing to have someone condemned to death, but it only took the memory of his nasty kiss to convince her again.

"I'll help as well. Once I become the Lady of the West, I can help care for his lands until his son is grown." Lord Rei sighed.

"Fine. I suppose it's settled then. Lord Tatsuya shall be executed come dawn tomorrow." Kagome hadn't thought the meeting would be this short, but at least it was settled. Everyone seemed used to the idea of someone being killed like this.

A large crash was suddenly heard throughout the castle. Everyone jumped up, and Sesshomaru flew out of the room in seconds, with Kagome close behind, and the two lords following. Running beside him, Kagome sniffed the air. It smelled if blood and dirt, dirt that smelled like the material the castle walls were made of, meaning that someone had probably broken through the castle wall, hurting or killing others in the process.

They descended down a flight of stairs, into a part of the castle that Kagome had never ventured into before. The smell of dust and dirt grew stronger, as did the smell of blood. Sesshomaru and Kagome were now leaping down the stairs, almost flying. The other lords settled for running, keeping close to them.

"What is this?!" Kagome came to an abrupt halt, while Sesshomaru kept moving until he was inches away from the bloody scene. Standing ten feet from it, the scent of blood burned Kagome's nose. Sesshomaru, more used to it, bent down to observe. The guards had been clawed into pieces, and Sesshomaru would bet his lands on who had done it.

"Tatsuya!" Sesshomaru could smell his scent, but it was all over, and he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Hello, Lord Sesshomaru. I must say, I'm surprised at the strength of your guards, and your prison could stand to be better built." Turning to face the direction of his voice, Sesshomaru saw Tatsuya for a moment before he disappeared. Now everyone was chasing after him, going through the broken prison, and running into the garden. Shippo and Rin, being watched by Jaken, looked up in alarm as they saw Tatsuya jump into the air, curling into a ball.

Within moments, Tatsuya had changed his appearance. He no longer resembled a human, but was in his true form of a giant vampire bat, flying away. He hadn't been flying for more than a second before Sesshomaru transformed, running after him. Kagome stopped, watching Sesshomaru chase the giant bat. It didn't take long for Lord Rei and Lord Koga to transform as well.

Kagome watched, mesmerized, as a giant wolf and a giant horse appeared before her. The wolf, obviously Lord Koga, was black with red eyes, and the horse, Lord Rei, was pale green with blue eyes, and a blue mane and tail made of flames. _I had no idea Lord Rei was a horse youkai. He almost reminds me off the youkai that Naraku's child incarnation rode._

Lord Koga and Lord Rei chased after Tatsuya, following Sesshomaru's lead. Kagome felt helpless, unable to transform and assist them. She watched as Sesshomaru leapt several times, trying to reach Tatsuya, who kept flying down and back up again, teasing him. Kagome growled, irritated by the fact that she was stuck here.

Sesshomaru growled and jumped up again, trying to bite Tatsuya. Tatsuya flew higher, emitting a high pitched screech, which Sesshomaru knew to be laughter. Tatsuya was laughing at him. No one laughed at Sesshomaru and got away with it.

Lord Rei and Lord Koga caught up with him, attempting to catch the fugitive. Lord Rei blew flames from his mouth, but Tatsuya dodged them. Lord Koga did as Sesshomaru was doing and tried to jump up and bite his wings, unsuccessfully.

It was then that Sesshomaru decided to release a power he hadn't used in many years, not since his father had been alive. Gathering up his energy, Sesshomaru focused, while keeping on Tatsuya's tail. He began glowing with energy, forcing his companions to move back.

Using all of his energy, Sesshomaru sprung in the air once more, aiming for Tatsuya. Tatsuya moved, trying to dodge, but, to his surprise, he found he couldn't move sideways, only forward. He tried to go up farther, but that failed as well. Sesshomaru locked his teeth around Tatsuya's wing, releasing poison into his system. Tatsuya was quickly brought down, locked in Sesshomaru's jaws. Sesshomaru pinned him to the ground with his paw, still biting his wing.

Lord Koga clamped his paw down on Tatsuya's other wing, making escape impossible. Tatsuya panicked, screeching loudly. The screeching hurt Sesshomaru's sensitive ears, and he let go, roaring in pain. Tatsuya continued screeching, and Lord Koga let go as well. The screeching was loud, irritating their hearing. In their true forms, they could hear twice as well, causing them more pain.

Tatsuya tried to fly away, continually screeching. But the poison in his system was burning his flesh, and Tatsuya cried out in pain, the noise still hurting the other lords. Suddenly, a white blur leapt past them, and Tatsuya was silenced.

oOo

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru and the others tried to take down Tatsuya. Rin and Shippo had gone inside, along with most of the people that had been outside. Now only a few older servants, having seen fighting like this before, were left tending the garden.

It amazed Kagome when Sesshomaru used his special ability, immobilizing Tatsuya and using the opportunity to bring him down. Kagome knew that his poisonous breath would likely kill Tatsuya before he could escape.

But Tatsuya was only held for a few moments, when he began an awful screeching that hurt Kagome's ears, even with the distance between them. She covered her ears, still watching the battle. She growled, the noise ringing in her ears. She watched helplessly as Sesshomaru roared from the pain.

Everything was a blur after that. Seeing her mate in pain, Kagome lost control. One minute, she was watching the battle, and the next, she was flying. _What's going on?! I'm at least fifty feet in the air! __**You're not in the air, you just got bigger. **__Huh? _Kagome paused, looking at herself. In front of her were two giant, white paws. The servants below were staring. She saw a pond and looked into it. A dog stared back at her. _Ah! What happened?! __**You transformed! Now go help Sesshomaru!**_

Her panic and surprise was forgotten. Her instincts took over, and Kagome began leaping towards the battle that she had been watching moments ago.

Trying to block out Tatsuya's screeching, Kagome jumped, aiming to land on the enemy. No sooner had she landed, the screeching stopped. She looked down to see that she had landed on top of Tatsuya, crushing him.

The three animals stood still, no longer terrorized by the noise. Sesshomaru saw Kagome on top of Tatsuya, killing him. He immediately recognized her, and stood by her side.

"_Kagome! How did you transform?!" _His words came out in barks and growls, but Kagome understood them perfectly.

"_I say you in pain, and I snapped. It was an automatic respone, I suppose. What do we do with him?" _She looked down at Tatsuya, who remained still.

"_Ignore him. He will die soon enough. I'm just glad you're all right." _Sesshomaru licked her face, showing his concern. Kagome rubbed her head under his.

"_Should we go back now?" _Sesshomaru nodded, turning and running back. Kagome followed him, with Lord Koga and Lord Rei close behind.

oOo

"Now he's taken care of. We don't have to worry about him anymore, at least." Kagome gently pulled the petals off a flower as she spoke. In the garden, Lord Rei and Lord Koga had wanted to talk with her, and this time, Sesshomaru stayed close by, watching from a nearby tree.

"Yes, Lord Tatsuya was a problem. Now, Lady Kagome, I have some questions I would like to ask." Kagome faced Lord Koga, waiting. "I wanted to ask some questions about your human life." Kagome nodded, wondering briefly how he had found out about her previous life.

"Fine. What is it?" Lord Koga cleared his throat.

"I was wondering . . . which lands did you live in?"

"I didn't live anywhere. I traveled." Kagome had prepared an answer for this question. She knew the other lords might want to know about her.

"Where were you born?"

"I don't know. My family traveled as well. We didn't stay in one place." Kagome hoped that they couldn't tell if she was lying.

"I see. Why did you choose the path of a miko?"

"It was chosen for me. I discovered my powers a few years ago." Lord Koga gave her a suspicious look.

"That's odd. A miko doesn't usually have her powers until years of training have gone by." Kagome laughed lightly.

"Yeah, it was different for me." Lord Koga thought for a minute.

"Why is it that you love Lord Sesshomaru? As long as I've known him, he has never shown qualities that someone would like." A growl was emitted from the tree where Sesshomaru was hiding. Kagome laughed again.

"There are some things. Of course, he's handsome. He's powerful. And when he wants to, he can be very kind and thoughtful. I think you'd have to get to know him to understand." They heard another growl from the tree. "Why don't you come down?" It only took Kagome's words to bring Sesshomaru down from the tree and sitting next to her.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Kagome has definitely taken a shine to you, if she's able to see good qualities in you." Sesshomaru growled again, louder than before. The two lords chuckled.

"I see that Kagome has mastered her true form. Were you teaching her this?" Sesshomaru nodded to Lord Rei.

"Yes, I was. Kagome is excellent in battle. She can handle her sword very well, and she is an expert archer."

"Wonderful. Will she be ready in time for the battle?" Kagome looked at Lord Rei.

"I will. I've defeated the youkai Naraku, and I will fight a thousand youkai for my right to mate Sesshomaru." Lord Koga seemed surprised, but Lord Rei wasn't.

"Then I suppose you're prepared."

oOo

Kagome sighed, curling herself tighter. It was night, and everyone had gone to bed. Sesshomaru had his arms wrapped around her, sleeping peacefully. But Kagome couldn't sleep, no matter how much she tried. She couldn't stop thinking about today.

_I still can't believe I transformed, after I was having such a hard time with it. __**Well, duh! You wanted to help Sesshomaru! That's why you did it! **__Still, it's amazing. I feel . . . kind of proud of myself. Maybe I don't need to worry about the battle. __**No way! We're gonna kick ass! **__I'll try my best, anyway. _

"Kagome." Sesshomaru tightened his arms around her. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I'm not tired." Kagome shifted so she was facing him. His chest rose and fell with his breathing. "I was thinking about the battle. I know it's a long ways away, but I'm still just a little nervous. I want to be able to mate you." Sesshomaru kissed her head.

"Even if you lose, I won't let it stop me. If they won't let us mate legitimately, I'll take you away, and we can live together, for eternity." Kagome smiled.

"But you wouldn't abandon the kingdom, would you? And what about the kids? And Inuyasha? You know I could never leave them behind." Sesshomaru sighed.

"Of course you wouldn't. That is one of the things I love about you." He pulled her face up, and kissed her gently.

"Thanks."

"Kyoko, what's wrong now?!" Kagome laughed when she heard Inuyasha yelling from his bedroom. Obviously, he was discovering the joys of tending to a pregnant woman. Kagome remembered when her mother had been pregnant with Souta, and it had been Hell.

"Inuyasha sounds like he's having fun." Sesshomaru chuckled.

"Yes, my brother has little patience." Kagome thought for a minute.

"I wonder what it'll be like when I'm pregnant. I mean, if I'm able to mate you." Sesshomaru kissed her again.

"We will mate, and we will have wonderful children. You will have everything you have ever wanted."

"What about you?"

"I only wish for you to be happy." Kagome rested her head against his chest.

"You know, for a while, I never thought about what I wanted. I was always trying to do my best with my education, helping around the house, making my family happy. I would even put up with my brother's whining. Then, after I graduated high school, I didn't really need to go to school anymore. I could have gone to college to be educated further, but I decided to stay in the feudal era, at least until the jewel was finished.

"My mom didn't like the idea, at first, but she agreed with me eventually. I'm glad I stayed, because I was able to be with you." She smiled at him. Sesshomaru smiled back.

"I am also glad that you stayed."

-End-

Hey! I'm sorry, this chapter took a while! I was trying to write it as fast as I could, but I was having trouble. I hope you liked it!

I'm going to try and write about Kagome's training in the next chapter, along with Rin and Shippo's relationship, and maybe some stuff about how Kyoko is doing. I'm still trying to reach my goal! 50 chapters, here I come!

But I do have some bad news. I'm going on a trip to Ireland, and I won't be back for two weeks, so I won't be able to post chapters. I'm sorry! I promise I'll have a really long chapter done when I get back! Again, I'm sorry!

I would have made this chapter extra long, but at the moment, I only have 995 reviews, so I can't. I only need five more, and I'll reach 1000 reviews! Please help me reach this ultimate goal! Help me get over 1000 reviews! Please! I only need five more right now! Please please please help me and review! Review review review!! Please review!

Okay, I have to go! I'll see you when I get back from Ireland! Bye-Bye!

P.S. I'll make the next chapter really really really really long!


	43. Worries

Sesshomaru sighed, putting the blanket back around Kagome's body. She laughed nervously, embarrassed.

"You are going to catch a cold." Kagome wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

"I'm sorry. I thought I had this thing mastered, but there's more trick to it than I thought." Sesshomaru sighed again.

After seeing him in pain, Kagome had transformed into her true form, and killed Tatsuya. Unfortunately, after they were back at the castle, the other lords and Sesshomaru had changed back, but when Kagome had tried to change back, she couldn't.

Sesshomaru had then spent half-an-hour coaching Kagome with the proper instructions on how to change back, and when she had changed back, ending her embarrassment at not being able to change, Kagome had found that she was naked. Of course, Sesshomaru had quickly used his outer shirt to cover her, and taken her back inside, but Kagome was angry with herself. She had appeared before everyone in the garden without clothes on, the ultimate in embarrassing stunts.

Sesshomaru knew immediately that her clothes had disappeared because, when she had transformed, she had grown too big for the clothes she had been wearing, shredding them. It made enough sense when he explained it to Kagome, but now she had to learn to transform without destroying her clothes. This took focus, but every Inu youkai could do it. Most Inu youkai were born with the ability to remove their clothes and transform quickly enough that no one saw them, and then their clothes were hidden in their fur, automatically put on when they changed back to their human forms.

This put Kagome in the situation she was in this morning, out in the cold snow, wrapped in a blanket, and another outfit, shredded to pieces, on the ground. Sesshomaru had seen this coming, bringing at least thirty kimonos outside with them, but Kagome only had three left.

"You require more focus. Try again." Knowing that she could only do this three more times before she ran out of clothes for the morning, Sesshomaru sat against a tree and watched as Kagome dressed, preparing to try again.

As she tried again, focusing on the transformation, Sesshomaru's thoughts wandered to the upcoming battle. Kagome, going against Lord Koga and Lord Rei.

It was true that Kagome had power, probably more power than the lords, but she lacked experience. The lords had tactics, maneuvers, advantages that Kagome didn't have. True, Sesshomaru had been teaching her, and she was skilled, but he couldn't help the nagging, worrying thoughts that filled his head.

He was also worried about the thing Kagome had seen on his face, the thing that had sparked with electricity when he touched it. He knew what it was, his father had told him, but it was much too soon.

He remembered sitting in the garden, not more than ten years old, watching the noblewomen play with their daughters, curiously observing their games. He wasn't particularly interested in what they were doing, but the young girls caught his eye.

His father had sat next to him, looking in his line of sight, seeing the women. He had laughed at him, sparking Sesshomaru's anger. His father found it amusing that he was taking to girls when he was so young, but he wasn't surprised.

It was then that his father had explained to him the basics of mating, leaving out parts that were too 'adult' for him. But what he had explained to him was what it was like to be in love, when you found the woman you would love the rest of your life. And he had explained what imprinting was.

For an Inu youkai, imprinting was the instinctual bond a male youkai formed with his mate just after the mating. It was something that made the youkai's feelings of love intensify, to be created into something that, if he were to be seperated from his mate, would kill him.

Sesshomaru was sure he had already experienced this feeling, when he had believed that Kagome was dead, gone forever. But his father had told him that, once an Inu youkai had imprinted, it would hurt him just to imagine his mate being hurt. Inu youkai mating bonds were stronger than anything else.

His father had gone on to explain that, after the imprinting had taken place, an Inu youkai would feel strange for a while, would feel as if he had been shocked by a bolt of lighting, but it would be a slow progression, the feeling of electricity starting in his face, and spreading around his body, as he transitioned from being 'in love' to being so strongly connected to his mate that he could not be seperated from her for even a few minutes.

Sesshomaru had wondered how this was possible, because his mother rarely even spoke to his father. Inu Taishou had merely laughed, giving no explanation. When he had grown older, Sesshomaru had understood. His father hadn't imprinted, for some unknown reason.

But he still wasn't able to figure out why it was starting now, before he had mated Kagome, or why Kagome had been able to see the strange power. Despite this, Sesshomaru didn't have a doubt as to what this was.

Kagome roared as the smoke cleared and her full form showed. Sesshomaru had been surprised by the fact that, though his eyes changed to red when he transformed, Kagome's remained the pure blue that he liked. Other than the eyes, her true form was the same as Sesshomaru's, except for her facial markings. Sesshomaru waited patiently while she started focusing on changing back.

To his surprise, and slight disappointment, Kagome had managed not to tear _all _of her clothes this time. Her undergarments remained, covering her most private body parts. "Well done. You salvaged some of your clothes." Kagome had brought out five sets of undergarments, but had saved them for the end of the outfits, making sure there was one set left over for her to use.

"Yay, I'm not completely naked," Kagome said in sarcastic tone. "I'm still freezing." She took the blanket from Sesshomaru and wrapped it around herself.

"Perhaps we should stop for today. I can see that your mood is wearing thin." Kagome sighed.

"I'm sorry, it's frustrating, is all. I think I can smell breakfast cooking, anyway, so we should probably go." She grabbed a kimono and put it on, tucking the last one under her arm. "I've probably gone through a lot of money's worth of kimonos. I'm sorry I couldn't be less destructive." Sesshomaru took her hand as they walked toward the castle.

"There is no need to apologize, Kagome. You are actually doing quite well. For one who had never transformed before, you were quick to dispatch of Tatsuya, and I was impressed." Kagome sighed again, leaning against his arm. Her stomach growled. Kagome's face burned red.

"I guess I'm hungrier than I thought." Sesshomaru chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulder.

oOo

"Tell me, Lady Kagome, what is your family like? You said they were travelers?" Kagome mentally punched herself. Inviting Lord Koga and Lord Rei to talk with her was a bad idea. They kept asking about her family, and Kagome couldn't tell them the truth, which meant she had to keep lying to them, and she hated lying.

"My mother is a very kind person, always helping everyone. She taught me that everyone deserves a chance to live life happily, and to help those in need." Lord Koga smiled. At the moment, they were sitting in the library, and Lord Rei was looking for a book that he wanted to show Kagome.

"I can see where her kindness rubbed off. You are an enchanting maiden, Kagome." Sesshomaru growled from the corner where he was observing the conversation. He had a book in hand, but Kagome was sure that he wasn't really reading it.

"Why do you always hide in the corner? Sit with me." Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome. He didn't want to sit near them because, in truth, he didn't like the other lords. They were fine people, but somewhat too 'cheery' for his taste. Despite this, he nodded and moved to sit next to Kagome at the table.

"What was your father like?" Kagome sucked in a breath. Lord Koga raised an eyebrow.

"My . . . my father . . . left my family when I was young. I didn't know him very well."

"Oh, I apologize." Kagome smiled.

"It's not your fault." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome, watching her eyes carefully.

Her eyes portrayed sadness, no matter how much she smiled. It almost hurt Sesshomaru to know that she was trying so hard not to worry others. She was always apologizing, smiling, telling people not to worry, helping when she didn't need to, making life easier on others.

Sesshomaru wondered just how much sadness she held in her heart. Even if it had happened a long time ago, it was obvious that she still held the pain of her father's betrayal. What else had happened to her that hurt her? Whatever it was, Sesshomaru wanted to ease that pain. He wanted to make Kagome happy, to leave no trace of sadness in her heart.

He placed his hand on her back, gently rubbing it. Kagome looked at him, still smiling.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Sesshomaru mentally growled. He was tired of Kagome hiding herself like this. She needed to show her feelings, to let others worry. It didn't do good for her to try and put up a front of happiness when she wasn't feeling happy.

"Kagome, may we speak privately for a moment?" Kagome looked at Lord Koga. He nodded. Turning back to Sesshomaru, she stood, offering her hand. Sesshomaru stood and, taking her hand, left the library. He led her out into the hall and then, to Kagome's surprise, embraced her tightly.

"What? Sesshomaru? What are you doing? Is something wrong?" Sesshomaru tightened his grip, tangling his hands in her hair.

"Kagome . . . stop it." Kagome pulled away to look at his face. Sesshomaru's expression showed worry and pain.

"Stop what?" Sesshomaru sighed, putting his hand on her cheek.

"Stop hiding. I could see the pain you felt, talking about your father. But you simply smiled, said not to worry. I don't want you to do that. You sacrifice yourself to help others, to make them feel better. You don't always need to do this. It's all right to show your pain. Allow others to worry about you every once in a while. It hurts me to see you in pain, but if I do, it makes me want to destroy that pain, to make you happy. But I can't destroy something bad if I can't see it." Kagome absorbed his words, thinking about what he said.

Kagome had been taught not to be selfish, to put others in front of herself. She had lived her entire life trying to make her mother happy, to be a good daughter to her, to be a good sister to Souta, to be a good mother to Shippo. Trying harder than anything to be a good lover to Sesshomaru. She wanted to make others happy. _I've always lived like that, but . . . there are so many people who show their weaknesses, who seek the comfort of others, trying to make themselves happy. It's pure instinct to preserve yourself over all other things, but I've never really felt that way, or . . . have I? _

"I suppose there are times when I've desired the sympathy of others, when I've been selfish enough to expect things from other people. But . . . being selfish isn't right. It's not good to continually expect things from others. I-" Kagome was silenced.

Sesshomaru's lips pressed against hers softly, but with a certain force behind them. She couldn't help wrapping her arms around his neck, his arms locked around her waist. They kissed for a long time, finally breaking for air.

Kagome panted, keeping her grip on Sesshomaru to keep from falling. Her lips burned with the need for more, her body was flaming with desire. It had been a while since they had kissed like that.

"Kagome, although it is not considered good manners to be selfish all of the time, it's fine if you feel that way every now and then. Everyone feels like that, and you don't need to hide it all of the time." Kagome looked up at him, and he was smiling. Before she could answer, he kissed her again, and it only took a moment for Sesshomaru to pick her up and carry her to their room, the other lords completely forgotten.

oOo

Inuyasha's ears twitched. He looked behind him to see that Kyoko had fallen asleep. He looked at the kimono in his hands, sighed, and put it back in the closet. _She won't need a new kimono now, I guess. Why the heck did she want one? The one she's wearing is perfectly fine. Stupid pregnancy hormones._

He sat next to her on the bed, watching her sleep. It was always relaxing to watch her like this, seeing her chest rise and fall with her breath. He stroked her cheek, smiling. Kyoko slept more than anything, and she was starting to eat more. Already her mood swings were kicking in. It annoyed Inuyasha, but he could stand it. After all, she was having their pup. He could put up with anything for her.

The rain started to beat down on the glass door on the balcony. He could see Rin and Shippo, rushing inside to avoid being drenched. It was odd that it was raining in winter. Usually it snowed, like it should.

"Love . . . Inuyasha . . ." He smiled, turning back to Kyoko. She talked in her sleep, mostly about him, or their pup. She would say things that she had probably been thinking about during the day. So far, he had found out that she was hoping for a boy, one that looked identical to him. But Inuyasha was hoping for something different.

He knew that women loved it when they had daughters. It was childish, but most people who had children wanted a child of the same sex as theirs. Inuyasha liked the idea of having a son, but he was hoping to have a girl, a little daughter that would make Kyoko happy. He had the picture in his head. A tiny girl in Kyoko's arms, with bright red hair and beautiful golden eyes, perhaps even tiger ears on her head.

Inuyasha sighed happily as the image filled his head. He could already feel his love go toward the small pup growing inside his mate. Kyoko didn't look pregnant just yet, but soon her stomach would start growing, expanding to make room for the child.

"Kyoko." He wanted to talk to her, to tell her about the image he had for their child, but it seemed foolish to him.

"Baby . . . boy . . . Taro . . ." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. _Is that what she wants to name it, if it's a boy? _

"Taro, huh? Nice name." Inuyasha looked out the window again. The rain was pouring hard, still difficult to believe because of the season. The last time Inuyasha had seen it rain in winter was when he was little, when his mom was still around.

Inuyasha's mind drifted to what he had heard Myoga say so long ago, when he had been desperate to destroy the Flower of Fate that bound Kagome to Sesshomaru. He had asked Myoga about it, and discovered that his mother had had one as well. _"Your mother did have one. It resembled a lily, and it was the same color blue as your father's stripes that were on his face. Why are you interested?"_

Inuyasha sighed. It seemed so long ago now, when he had taken Kikyo's life and sought out Kagome afterward. Now, Kagome felt more like a sister than anything else, which, once she was mated to Sesshomaru, was exactly what she would be. He wondered if fate had been planning this the whole time. For him to be completely crushed, _twice_, and then finally be lucky enough to stumble on the love of his life.

"Inuyasha?" He could smell Kagome's scent at the door. Standing, he opened it and smiled.

"Hey." Kagome smiled.

"Hi. How's she doing?" Kagome looked around him into the room, but couldn't see anything.

"She's fine. Sleeping, actually. She sleeps a lot. How are you?"

"Good. I'm a little worried about the upcoming fight." Inuyasha stepped aside and gestured for Kagome to come in. She did so, trying to be quiet, not wanting to wake Kyoko up.

"I saw you transform from the window. Impressive." Inuyasha knew that it probably wasn't the best to mention that he had also seen her when she had changed back. _That _would earn him a good slap in the face.

"Thanks. I'm working on it. It's hard to change back, though." Inuyasha knew what she meant. "Can you do it?" She looked at him curiously. Inuyasha laughed quietly.

"Nah, a stupid mutt like me can't do that. Kyoko can turn into a tiger, though, which surprised me, 'cause she's not one of the really strong youkai." Kagome looked at Kyoko.

"She's a good person. An excellent choice." She made it sound as if she were a merchant, congratulating someone who had bought an expensive item from her store.

"Three's the charm." Kagome laughed.

"I suppose I should go. Lord Koga's probably wondering where I went. I left in the middle of our conversation. I wanted to check on you before I went back. I'm glad you've found someone for you," Kagome opened the door and smiled again.

"Thanks." Inuyasha watched as she shut the door, listening to her footsteps as she walked down the hall. Sitting back on the bed, he resumed watching Kyoko while she slept.

oOo

"'You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep, because reality is finally better than your dreams.'" Kagome smiled as she quoted the words of Dr. Seuss. His books had never appealed to her, but as she was surfing the internet one day, she had found this famous quote and printed it, saving it in her desk drawer. Now she finally understood it.

Sesshomaru was asleep next to her, worn out from a full day of signing documents and dealing with other people's problems. Kagome watched him, moving a piece of hair from his face. She couldn't wait to mate him. _If I win the battle, anyway. __**Of course you will, dummy! Why wouldn't you?! You're gonna kick ass out there! **__Oh, shut up. I don't need your opinion on the matter. _

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru's chest, observing his mucles. She traced them with her finger, sighing. Her mind started to wander, wondering what their life would be like afterward, if she won the battle. _What will I have to do? What jobs will I have? I wonder . . . I wonder what our pups will look like. _Kagome hoped they would have many children, and she laughed as an image of Miroku and Sango flashed into her mind. Miroku would want _a lot _of kids.

"What's funny?" Kagome felt Sesshomaru run his hands through her hair.

"Nothing. Thinking about my friends . . . how many kids do you want?" Sesshomaru looked at her, confused.

"What brought this question up?" Kagome buried her head in his chest.

"Answer." Sesshomaru didn't have to think about it.

"As many as you would like." Kagome sighed.

"No. I mean, how many do you really want? Regardless of what I think." Sesshomaru thought for a minute. He had never thought about this kind of thing until now. He had always assumed he would have children until he had a suitable heir, not thinking on his preference.

"I think . . . perhaps two or three children would be enough." Kagome wrapped her arms around him.

"That sounds about right."

"Is there a reason you are not sleeping?" Kagome sighed happily.

"Not really. I was just thinking about what would happen after. If I win. I was wondering about what I would do as Lady of the West, what would happen when we had kids, etcetera." Sesshomaru curved his legs around hers.

"As Lady of the West, it will be your responsibility to take care of the people. My job is to settle land disputes and fights between the minor lords of my land. Because I don't have a mate, I also have to take care of the problems of my subjects, which is the duty of the Lady. You will listen to the problems that people have, such as when the soil is not fertile and won't grow crops, or when a village is under attack by a youkai."

"So, if there's any problems with the minor lords, that's yours to solve, and I solve problems that the people have?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Most of the minor lords solve problems like that before they turn severe enough to reach the Lady, meaning that you should not have too much to do."

"But that's not good. I have to do a good job, and I don't want to just sit around the castle doing nothing all day, like I do now," Kagome yawned. Sleep was slowly creeping up on her. "It's an important job . . . what if I don't win?" Sesshomaru was surprised by the suddenness of her question.

"You will win, and even in the small chance that you do not, as I said before, I will take you away and live with you in hiding. Nothing will stop me." Kagome looked up at him.

"Why, though? Why would you give up your kingdom for me?" Sesshomaru kissed her forehead.

"Because I love you."

"But . . ." Kagome knew there was no use arguing with him. "I love you too," Kagome sighed, giving up. Sesshomaru rubbed her back.

"Sleep. Training begins again tomorrow."

oOo

Training did not go well.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome tried, once again, to keep from destroying her clothes. Luckily, she was improving. She was able to keep from destroying her underwear, which was good because, as Kagome had told Sesshomaru, she only had two bras left.

It was bad enough that she was having trouble with this, but it was the dead of winter as well. In the back of his mind, Sesshomaru had scolded himself for not waiting another month or so to alert the other lords. He could have waited for warmer weather, at least. As much as Sesshomaru liked seeing Kagome nearly naked, he was hit with a pang of guilt when she started shivering from the weather.

The most annoying thing was that Sesshomaru knew that, if Kagome mastered her true form, she would probably be able to beat the lords fairly easily. But she wouldn't be able to concentrate if she couldn't as least keep her clothes on.

Kagome had power, more power than Sesshomaru had thought possible. She could beat the other lords and, Sesshomaru was sure, probably tie with him in a fair fight. If she mastered her true form, she probably wouldn't even need her sword.

Sesshomaru was pulled from his thoughts when he realized, to his slight disappointment, that she had managed to keep her under kimono in tact. He also noticed that she was wearing her special necklace, the one passed down from her great-grandmother, with the crescent shaped jewel on the chain.

"Yes! I kept more of my clothes safe," Kagome smiled at him.

"Kagome, you should not wear that necklace. You could have broken it." Kagome, confused, looked at her neck.

"Oh, I must have forgotten to take it off. Sorry," She reached for her neck, looking for the clasp. Sesshomaru was by her side in an instant, taking the necklace off. Kagome smiled again. "Thanks. I'll try again." Sesshomaru resumed his position on the ground, leaning against the tree.

Sesshomaru looked at the necklace, inspecting it. The jewel was sapphire, the crescent matching his mark almost exactly. Sesshomaru remembered the night Kagome had been looking for it, covered in mud and rain. That was when she had restored his arm.

Sesshomaru jumped as his vision was suddenly clouded, filled with a strange mist. He blinked, and then calmed down. This was an odd time for one of his rare visions. They usually only happened every few hundred years. The last one had been a vision of Kagome singing.

He had yet to figure out how and why he had these visions, but Sesshomaru simply waited for the vision to pass.

"_Mama, you're so lucky!" _That was Shippo's voice. Sesshomaru had yet to see anything, the strange mist covering everything.

"_Thank you, Shippo. I'm excited." _Kagome's voice sounded different . . . motherly, almost.

"_When?" _Inuyasha's voice was much softer than it usually was.

"_I'm not sure, but I hope it's soon." _

Sesshomaru waited, but the voices were gone. The mist cleared, and Sesshomaru was back in reality. Kagome had just finished transforming, and now she was trying to change back. He blinked once, twice, and sighed.

Kagome sighed as well, once again in her underwear. She took another kimono, dressing. Sesshomaru tucked the necklace into his shirt.

"Hyah!" Both looked up and saw Lord Koga, eagerly slaying a bird youkai. Kagome jumped away as the remains landed on the ground. "My apologies!" Lord Koga descended, smiling. "I was hunting. I had no intention of interrupting." Kagome was glad that she was able to dress quickly, or Lord Koga could have seen her half-naked.

"No worries. Lord Koga, you hunt? For what reason?" Lord Koga laughed, but it was a friendly laugh.

"It releases tension that I've built up. I like hunting in the early morning, because animals are more difficult to find then. It makes for more of a challenge." Kagome smiled, giggling sweetly, in a way that practically melted Sesshomaru's heart. He loved her laugh.

"You seem enthusiastic. Have fun." Lord Koga nodded, flying into the air. "Do you hunt?" Kagome turned to Sesshomaru, still smiling.

"Occasionally. I haven't hunted in a while. Not since . . ." Sesshomaru paused, tracing back his memories. "I believe my last hunting trip was before we arrived at the castle the first time." Kagome's expression changed to worry.

"That was a long time ago. Aren't you stressed? It's bad if you don't relieve tension." Sesshomaru shrugged.

"Let us continue." Kagome nodded, sighing. Sometimes she wished that Sesshomaru would take his needs seriously. She couldn't remember him acting selfish since they had started liking each other.

oOo

Shippo watched as Rin worked on their snowman, smiling her sweet smile. It made Shippo proud, somehow, knowing that Rin liked him. He loved watching her, playing with her, even just sitting with her made him smile.

"And now, we make eyes," Rin poked her fingers into the snowman's face. Making snowmen was her favorite snow activity, and they had made several of them all over the garden.

"Rin, do you think Mama is going to win the fight?" Rin turned to him and smiled.

"Sure! She and Sesshomaru will be together, and have lots of kids!" Shippo smiled back at her.

"Yeah, you're right. Hey, Rin . . . what do you want to do? Do you want kids?" Rin froze for a second, and went back to carving the snowman's face.

"Yes." Shippo was surprised when she didn't continue. Usually, when Rin answered a question, she babbled out at least a few sentences. "I had a lot of siblings, and there was always someone to play with. When I have children, I want to make sure I have as many as Momma had." Shippo listened to the pain in her words. This was the first time he had heard her speak of her mother.

Shippo stood and hugged Rin tightly. She jumped, staring at him. "Shippo . . .?" She trailed off, waiting for Shippo to release her. A few minutes passed, but he stayed put. Rin, hesitantly, wrapped her arms around him.

"You kids aren't getting fresh, are you?" At the sound of Kagome's voice, Shippo released Rin and jumped back a few steps. They both blushed, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh. Then she noticed something. "Shippo, did you grow?" Shippo's blush faded, and he looked up at Kagome, and then at Rin.

Shippo had always been a few inches shorter than Rin, but now, as he looked at her face, his noticed that his eyes were level with hers. He hadn't noticed it before.

"I think I did." Rin smiled, and Shippo automatically smiled back again.

"That's great! You're finally growing. You've been the same height for so long." Kagome bent down and placed her hand on his head, and then moved her hand to Rin's head, measuring the difference. "Yes, you and Rin are about the same height now."

"Hey, Mama, how's your training going?" Kagome sighed.

"I can transform and change back fine, but I still need to work on keeping my clothes in tact." The kids laughed. "Sesshomaru had work to do, so I came out here. You're making snowmen?" Kagome stood, observing the snowman they had just finished.

"Yeah, Shippo and I made it. Do you want to help us make another one?" Kagome smiled, but the smile looked very conniving, like she was plotting something.

"My little brother spent years trying to outdo me in the art of snowmen. And he was never better than me." Shippo and Rin backed up, wondering what Kagome was doing. Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of snow and started packing it.

"Mama?" Kagome turned to him, smiling her normal smile again.

"I'm just kidding, Shippo. I didn't mean to sound so . . . scary. But I really am excellent at making snowmen. Just watch."

They watched. Rin and Shippo stood and watched as Kagome packed the snow, piling it together, carving it. While they watched, Shippo slyly took Rin's hand, and she smiled at him.

Kagome was glad to have claws, they made excellent carving tools. She made ridges and curves, piling the snow, taking chunks off. She worked quickly, and only about ten minutes had passed when she was almost done. "Some more here . . . take away some here . . . and, done!"

"Wow, Mama! That looks great!" The children stood in awe as they looked at Kagome's creation. It was a sculpture of Sesshomaru's father, Inu Taishou, holding an infant Sesshomaru. Inu Taishou's armor was gone, but his three swords remained at his hip.

"Kagome, this is one of the best sculptures I've ever seen," Rin walked around it, observing every angle.

"I can't take credit for the idea. I saw a painting of this in the hallway a few days ago. I think Sesshomaru makes a very cute pup." The kids laughed.

"You're right, Mama."

"I wonder what Sesshoumaru would think if he-" Kagome froze. Something wasn't right. Shippo, with his youkai sense of smell, could tell what was wrong, and crouched into a defensive position.

"Shippo? Kagome?" Rin's dull human sense couldn't detect what the other's could. There was movement in the garden.

Besides Kagome and the kids, the only people in the freezing cold garden were the guards, posted there by Jaken to save him from watching the children. The guards were trained not to move unless there was danger.

Kagome's nose quickly picked up on the scent on the outside intruder, telling her that it was a dangerous species. Shippo's senses weren't developed enough to tell what kind of youkai it was, but his hearing enabled him to tell when there was an enemy near.

"Guard!" Kagome pointed to the guard nearest to them. The guard heard her command, and briskly walked over, bowing.

"Yes, my lady. Whatever you require," The guard was an older gentleman, more experienced than the others.

"Take the children inside." The guard nodded, quickly pushing the children towards the castle.

Kagome's senses were on high alert now, ready to face the strange enemy that dared to come near the castle. It was obvious where this enemy was from.

She heard the crunching of snow, but didn't move. It was only Sesshomaru.

"Kagome, go inside." She could hear the tenderness in his voice, and growled in return.

"I won't back down." Sesshomaru was next to her now, his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll deal with it. Go." His voice was more stern now, more commanding.

"He's clearly here to attack. Why else would he come around the back to sneak in the garden?"

"Inside," Sesshomaru commanded again, pushing Kagome behind him.

"But-" Sesshomaru pushed her back farther, forcing her towards the castle.

"Kagome, I only want to keep you safe, and you simply need to be inside as a precaution. I doubt there will be a serious fight." Kagome huffed.

"Fine, but you're going to pay for this. I'm perfectly capable of handling this," Kagome mumbled, walking back. It wasn't that she _wanted _this fight, so much as she felt like Sesshomaru was being overprotective again. It was nice that he wanted to protect her, but she liked feeling capable of herself. She didn't want to feel like a helpless child.

Sesshomaru waited for Kagome to leave the garden, listening for more movement. The one thing he hated about snow was that it covered up scents, like water. It made him feel deprived of his abilities.

"Sesshomaru . . . are you happy?" Sesshomaru turned toward the familiar voice, facing the southern end of the garden. "You've taken a miko youkai for a mate, and adopted a human child. You've gone soft. I'm extremely disappointed, especially because of what you did . . . you killed my father, you bastard!" Sesshomaru leapt back as the youkai flew from the air, landing in a crouch, ready for the kill.

"Akira, you should know the crime your father commited." The man, Akira, growled, stalking closer to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru pulled his sword from his hip. Tokijin glowed with power.

"My father did no wrong!" Akira leapt at him, fangs bared, claws ready to rip Sesshomaru's throat out. Sessomaru easily dodged, swinging Tokijin at him, but Akira had already leapt back, coiled for another attack.

"Your father tried to take my mate!" Akira froze. Sesshomaru watched as Akira paused for a minute, and stood.

"He . . . tried to take your mate? He . . . thought about betraying Mother?" Now Sesshomaru knew what Akira had been thinking. He thought that his father had been killed for no reason. But know he knew the truth, and it would hit him twice as hard, because he idolized his mother, and hated the fact that his father didn't care for her. Akira was easily manipulated this way.

"Akira, your father broke one of the most sacred laws, and he could not be forgiven for it. I am sorry for your loss, but it is no reason to attack me." Akira nodded, seeming to be in a daze.

"Yes . . . I am sorry, Lord Sesshomaru . . . I did not realize . . ." Sesshomaru observed the boy as he tried to cope with his father's crime.

Sesshomaru hadn't seen Akira since he was a child. He had blond hair, like his mother, and green eyes, like his father. He was very thin, but, as his father Tatsuya had stated, he was agile, and a good fighter.

Sesshomaru knew that he loved his mother, partly because Tatsuya had always complained about him clinging to the Lady of the South, and partly because Sesshomaru had seen for himself the devotion Akira felt toward his mother when he had seen him centuries ago. As a child, Akira had clung to his mother, keeping constant physical contact. This was normal for young children, but Akira had been at the age where young boys were seperated from their mothers, keeping with their fathers so that they could learn from them.

Akira was the eldest son, but Tatsuya had much preferred Akira's younger brother, Tama, because of Akira's shy demeanor. And although Akira hated the fact that his father had not loved his mother, he saw his father as a role model, the man who had raised him, despite the fact that he failed at almost everything. It was natural that he had been angry.

As Sesshomaru watched him, Akira stood silently.

"Akira, I hold no grudge for your attack, but I would like you to apologize to my mate." For half a second, Sesshomaru thought about how he liked the way it sounded, to call Kagome his mate, but refocused on Akira.

Akira looked up, confused.

"Why would I apologize to her? I mean no disrespect, but I did nothing to Lady Kagome." For another brief second, Sesshomaru wondered how Akira knew about Kagome, but dismissed the thought.

"She assumed that you were attacking her, and she has been upset by your arrival." In truth, Sesshomaru knew that was Kagome was upset about was the fact that she didn't have to chance to fight Akira herself, but either way it was caused by him.

"Oh . . ." Akira blinked once, twice. "I am sorry. I will apologize, if you would be so kind as to show me where she resides."

oOo

Kagome was absolutely delighted with Akira, and Sesshomaru could not figure out why.

After apologizing for his attack, and for upseting her, Kagome had asked Akira to visit with them, out of politeness. But she took to him immediately.

Kagome found Akira charmingly shy. He hesitated when he answered, like he thought that he was going be scolded if he said the wrong thing, and he smiled at everything that Kagome said. Of course, Sesshomaru thought, he might not have smiled if he knew that Kagome had been the one to kill his father. Then again, he hated his father with a burning passion. A very complicated boy.

"Lady Kagome, I apologize once more-"

"Akira, please don't. You have every right to be angry. Would you like more tea?" Akira shook his head.

"No, thank you. Please continue." Kagome nodded.

"All right, where was I? Ah, yes, Shippo and Rin were outside making snowmen, and I was watching them, and I decided to hit Sesshomaru with some snow, for fun." Sesshomaru growled loudly, and Kagome laughed. Akira laughed as well, but it was quiet and shy. "Then he threw one back, and we started chasing each other. It was so much fun."

"Yes, I have seen children around my mother's palace playing in the snow, though I have never done so myself."

"Really? It's fun, you should try it."

"My lady, I apologize, but I really should be going. Because my father is no longer here, it is my duty to take care of the lands."

"Oh, okay." Kagome was slightly disappointed that Akira had to leave so soon, but she understood. "Please, feel free to visit anytime." Akira nodded, turning to leave. He looked back once more.

"Thank you for forgiving me." And he was gone.

Kagome sighed. Days in the castle had grown boring, and Akira had been a nice change of pace. She wished he could've stayed longer.

"Why do you like him?" Kagome turned to Sesshomaru, surprised.

"You don't?" He shook his head. "Well . . . he reminds me of my little brother Souta when he was young, very timid. I think it's cute." Sesshomaru growled. Kagome giggled.

Standing, she grabbed Sesshomaru's shirt. "Not nearly as cute as you, of course." She was about to place her lips on his, when a blood-curdling scream stopped her. They both spun around and ran out the door, following the screams. It was Kyoko.

oOo

"No! No, no, no, no, no! It can't be!" Kyoko sobbed into her pillow. Kagome tried to comfort her, but to no avail.

"Kyoko-"

"Shut up! It's not true! I won't believe it!" She clutched the pillow around her stomach. She wouldn't let anyone talk to her. Inuyasha was too stunned to try and console her, either way.

"Woman, your child is gone." Kagome glared at Sesshomaru. He wasn't being helpful.

"No! He's not gone! He's still here! He's still inside me, and he's going to be born like any other child!" Kagome rubbed her back as she watched the tears pour down her face.

They had followed the screaming to Inuyasha's room, had seen him trying to calm her, had seen the bloody bed sheets, had fetched servants to help, but it was all useless. Kyoko had miscarried.

The unborn child, no bigger than Sesshomaru's hand, lay completely wrapped in bloody cloth in a cradle that Kagome had set up for them. It hadn't formed its shape well enough to tell the gender, but Kyoko continuously referred to it as a boy.

The servants were gone, and now the only ones in the room were the four of them, Rin and Shippo banned from the room for the time being. Kagome didn't want them to see this, especially Rin. At such a young, impressionable age, something like this might scare Rin out of having children. It had certainly scared Kagome.

This event had frightened Kagome, probably not as much as Kyoko, but it had frightened her all the same. She hadn't thought of the reality of childbirth until now. She had pictured herself round with Sesshomaru's child, happily awaiting the birth. But now everything was different.

The truth hit her like a ton of bricks. Anything and everything could go wrong when she was pregnant. She could miscarry, like Kyoko, or she could have an accident, and the child could come out deformed. The image of her pregnancy was permanently alterred. Now, as she thought of it, she couldn't stop herself from imagining thousands of things happening, preventing her from having a healthy child.

"Kyoko, I know this is hard, but-"

"I told you to shut up!" Kagome nodded, still rubbing her back. She glanced at Inuyasha, who was frozen in the corner of the room. He hadn't spoken since the baby had come.

"Inuyasha?" His ears twitched, but he didn't respond. "Inuyasha, I know this is hard, but you can't sit in the corner all day." He remained still, and Kagome sighed. She couldn't blame him.

"Don't listen to her, the baby is fine! I'm still pregnant, and it's fine, and the baby's fine, and we don't need to worry!" Kyoko's sobbing continued, denying any recognition that she had miscarried.

_Poor Kyoko. I wish I could do something, but she won't listen to me. _Now Kagome was remembering an article she had once read about pregnancies ending badly. At the time she had thought _Oh, that won't happen to me._ She hated reality checks.

"The baby . . . it's gone, right?" Surprised, Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha. He was standing now, anger obvious in his eyes. "There's no chance of it living?" Sadly, Kagome shook her head. Kyoko sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes. Inuyasha sat next to her.

"But . . ." Kyoko looked at him desperately.

"It's gone now. There's nothing we can do. Kyoko, I'm really sorry. I didn't think about this happening. But I promise that we'll try again. And we'll do it right this time." Inuyasha seemed strangely composed. "We'll do it over. We'll start from the beginning of the mating ritual, and become mates the way youkai are supposed to." Kyoko hiccuped, another tear sliding down her cheek. Inuyasha wiped it away.

"I . . . the baby . . . you . . . me . . . it's all my fault!" Kyoko jumped into Inuyasha's arms, sobbing again. Inuyasha held her close, closing his eyes.

"Shhh," he murmured. "It's okay. It's not your fault," he gently stroked her hair. Kagome stood, knowing that they needed alone time. Taking Sesshomaru's hand, she opened the door and left the room.

Shippo and Rin were outside the door, tears going down Rin's face. Shippo was holding her hand, gently stroking it. He wasn't crying, but Kagome could see the pain on his face.

"You two should go to your rooms." Obeying Kagome, the children stood and left, not saying a word. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru once, and turned to open their bedroom door. Walking inside, she sat on the bed, Sesshomaru following her every move.

Tears burst out and poured down Kagome's face. She released Sesshomaru's hand and buried herself in the pillows, sobbing uncontrollably. Sesshomaru, concerned, and slightly surprised, put his hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome?" She hadn't cried at all until now, and the way she was sobbing was unnerving. It hadn't been her child, so why was she this upset? "Kagome, is something wrong? I understand that this is upsetting, but . . ." He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"It's just . . . just . . . poor Kyoko!" Kagome was too afraid of sounding selfish to say why she was really crying. Of course she was upset about Kyoko, and she would have cried anyway, but this was different. Just the idea made her upset all over again.

"Kagome, you heard my little brother. They will have another child, I'm sure. Please do not cry." He rubbed her back, imitating what Kagome had done with Kyoko.

"I know . . . but . . ." Kagome knew she had to let it out, despite sounding selfish. "What if that happens to me?!" Sesshomaru was hardly fazed. He had thought that Kagome might think of this happening to her, and that she would be worried. She had worried before about winning the battle.

"Don't worry. I cannot guarantee that it will not happen, but I assure you that you will have the best care when you are with child." Kagome's sobs didn't stop.

"That doesn't matter! If I miscarry, it'll be because of me! It'll be because of the way _my _body is built!" Kagome knew this wasn't the only reason for miscarraige, but it was one of the reasons. She had once known a cousin who had miscarried because her body couldn't supply the fetus with the right nurtients.

"Kagome, it's all right. I promise that I will do all I can to make sure that, once you are pregnant, everything goes well. I won't let anything happen to you, and I will give you everything you need." Finally, Kagome's sobs stopped, and she hiccuped a few more times before she was quiet.

"Yes, but . . . I'm just so worried. Seeing Kyoko like that, it made me think. There are so many things that can go wrong." Kagome sat up and wiped her eyes. "I must sound so selfish right now, worrying about me when Kyoko is the one in pain." Sesshomaru pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's all right to be selfish once in a while. I've told you that." Kagome sighed. He was right. But she still couldn't help feeling like she need to put others first.

"Yes, you've said that. It's just . . . I don't know how to say it. But for now, I want to worry about Kyoko and Inuyasha, and what they're going to do."

"Don't worry. Eveything will be fine, eventually. For now, why don't you rest?" Kagome gripped his shirt.

"Sure."

oOo

As the days passed, Kyoko eventually calmed down enough to keep up conversation with the others, but she was very blank, and didn't say much. Inuyasha was the same, only speaking when spoken to.

The baby had been given a proper funeral, and was buried on the garden, by one of the ponds, and after much persuading from Kagome, Sesshomaru had a shrine built around the grave to honor the child.

Shippo and Rin seemed fine. After the burial, they had asked Kagome exactly what had happened, and Kagome had struggled to explain that the child had gone to heaven, but had dodged further questions, not wanting to explain such a tragic thing to children.

Kagome fears about what would happen to her children had settled, but they lingered, sneaking their way into her thoughts when she didn't have anything else to do.

Her training went along at a slow pace, and after another week Kagome was barely able to keep her under kimono intact. She was almost done with this section of the training, and Sesshomaru had assured that after this, the rest would be much easier.

"Can't we do something?" Rin looked at Shippo desperately, hoping for an answer.

"I don't know," Shippo shrugged. He was just as clueless as she was.

They sat in Rin's room, trying to think of ways to cheer up Inuyasha and Kyoko. They were also trying to make Kagome feel better. They had overheard her conversation with Sesshomaru after Kyoko's child has passed away.

"Maybe we could show Kyoko was we showed Kagome when you transformed us into Inu pups." Shippo shook his head.

"No, seeing something like that might upset Kyoko more. It'll be like looking at what would've happened if he hadn't died." They both cringed at the last word.

"You're right," Rin sighed. They sat in silence, wondering. A sudden knock on the door made them both jump.

"Come in," Shippo called. The door opened, revealing Inuyasha. He stepped inside, a blank look still on his face.

"I need a favor. Go comfort Kyoko. I have to go for a while. I'll be back." Before they could answer, he was gone. They paused for a moment.

"I suppose . . . we should go," Rin stood, motioning for Shippo to follow. They opened the door to Inuyasha's room, not knowing what to expect.

Kyoko was sitting on the bed, dried tears on her face. She was cradling a pillow in her arms as if it were a pup. Hearing the kids, she turned her head.

"Oh, hello. Is there anything you need?" Her voice was flat, not showing any true curiosity. Rin twiddled her fingers.

"Um, Inuyasha asked us to stay with you. Are you all right?" Kyoko's eyes settled on her, and turned back to the pillow.

"No." Her voice suddenly turned harsh, but her face remained blank. "Did you think I would be all right?" Her words stung, and Rin cringed.

"We can leave," Shippo grabbed Rin's hand, ready to bolt. Kyoko obviously didn't want company.

"No, wait." They turned back, wary. Kyoko set the pillow down gently, keeping her eyes on them. "Stay. Sit with me." She patted the bed, inviting them.

"Okay . . ." Shippo walked to the bed, still holding Rin's hand. Kyoko took Rin by the waist and sat her on her left, setting Shippo on her right. Wrapping her arms around them, she sighed.

"I apologize. I'm just upset. I was . . . looking forward to having this pup. Please try to understand." To Shippo's surprise, Rin grabbed Kyoko's hand and began massaging it.

"It's all right. Kagome was upset too. She doesn't want this to happen to her kids, and she feels really bad about this. She doesn't like seeing anyone unhappy." Shippo followed Rin's example, massaging Kyoko's other hand.

"Yeah, Mama felt bad. She likes Inuyasha a lot, and she doesn't want her friends to be sad. And I'm sure that you'll have another chance." Shippo was hesitant to say this, but Kyoko seemed fine now.

"Thank you. Also, did Inuyasha tell you where he was going?" They looked at her, confused.

"He didn't tell you?" Kyoko glanced at Rin and shook her head.

"No, I have no idea where he's going."

oOo

Inuyasha bounded from tree to tree, eagerly searching for the scent of Inu youkai. The castle was miles away now, and he hadn't looked back once. _Kyoko will be fine _he assured himself.

Finally, after a few hours, he caught the scent. Smiling, he followed it over the mountains that appeared before him. The ground was rocky and rough, but he had seen worse.

His thoughts continued to return to Kyoko, wondering about her welfare. He was sad as well, but he could only imagine the pain she was going through. She had told him before how happy she was to be having a pup, despite the fact that they hadn't followed the mating ritual properly. As a mother, it was much harder for her to lose it.

The scent grew stronger, and Inuyasha knew he was close. It this worked, then Kyoko would be the happiest woman alive.

-End-

Hi peoples!! I'm so very very very very very sorry that I haven't updated! I've been busy with school, and it took me a long time to write this chapter, and when I was gonna post it, our internet broke AGAIN! Anyways, I'm really sorry, and I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorry about the tragedy Kyoko suffered, but I felt the story needed more depth, more reality.

I'll try to write the next chapter as soon as I can, but they've gotten so long that it takes me a while to think of what to write, and, as I said before, I have a lot of schoolwork, and not a lot of free time.

I'm pretty sure that the fight will be coming up next. Ugh, it's gonna be so hard for me to write it, I stink at writing action scenes. But I'll try my best!

Again, I'm sorry, I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll write again as soon as I can! Please please please please please please please please review!! Review review review review review!! Until next time, bye bye!


	44. Calming the Storm

"I love you," Kagome nuzzled him, feeling content. It was not to her lover that she said these words, but to her infant son. He was more beautiful than anything Kagome had ever seen in her entire life. To her amazement, even Sesshomaru could hardly compare. The pup's bright gold eyes shone with happiness.

"He is amazing. I am glad you are happy," Kagome felt Sesshomaru's hand on her shoulder. She turned to smile at him, but the smile was wiped away. Naraku was standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder.

"Wha . . . ? Naraku, get away from my baby!" Kagome yanked away from him, growling.

"Now, now, love. He is my child too." Kagome's breath caught. She looked down at the child, who was now looking at her with dark, soulless black eyes.

"NO!"

oOo

Kagome jumped from her bed, screaming in denial. Sesshomaru was holding her in an instant, cuddling her. Kagome was hyperventilating, unable to shake off the terrible nightmare.

"Kagome, calm down. It's all right, nothing is wrong, everything is fine," He continued to sooth her while rubbing her back. Fear ran through him, making his heart beat furiously with panic, but he wasn't surprised.

For the past week, Kagome had been waking up to nightmares. It had started when Inuyasha had left to go somewhere and hadn't come back. Kyoko claimed to know nothing about it.

Her first nightmare had been one of Inuyasha being killed. Her screaming had rung through the castle, and many servants had come in an attempt to help. Now, everyone was aware that it was only nightmares that plagued Kagome, and they didn't bother.

Sesshomaru waited out her terror, anticipating the moment when she would tell him what her nightmare was, and continue to cry.

It was a few minutes before Kagome was calm enough to speak. Sesshomaru knew she hated appearing weak, but she couldn't sleep unless she told him about the evil dreams.

"I . . . I . . . my dream was . . ." She was still blubbering, and she paused for a minute, and spoke again, "My dream was about me . . . and I had a baby . . . and then Naraku came and he . . . he said the baby . . . was his . . ." Kagome paused to sob between her words, and when she finished, Sesshomaru growled. Naraku hadn't been spoken of since Kagome's near death experience.

"Everything is fine, Kagome. Do not worry," He waited for a few minutes, and eventually, Kagome was calm again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, laying down again. Sesshomaru counted the minutes until he could hear her even breaths, the sign that she was sleeping once more.

"Damn it all, what is wrong with her?" Sesshomaru growled again, hoping that the nightmares would stop soon. Kagome had told him yesterday that she was worried for Inuyasha, but her fears were also generating from the upcoming battle, and the small seed of doubt planted by Kyoko's tragedy. Sesshomaru had continuously assured that everything would be fine, but she still seemed sad. She no longer played with the children, and, though Sesshomaru thought this might seem silly, it seemed as if her special glow, the aura that gave her such life, was gone.

It was natural for her to worry about Inuyasha, and the battle, but Sesshomaru was concerned about how she was acting about what could happen to their children, when the time came. He knew that Kagome wanted children badly. But to worry about their safety before they even existed?

"_But during the imprinting, the female may act irrational about what will happen to her mate and herself."_

His father's words suddenly flashed across Sesshomaru's mind. He pondered them, stroking Kagome's hair. Irrational? It was possible that her behavior was caused by the imprinting. He was brought to worry again over why the imprinting was happening so soon. "Perhaps I will seek council from my father's old assistant. What was his name? Myoga, I think. Yes, Myoga. He knew almost everything that my father knew. My father had trusted him deeply. Yes, I will summon him tomorrow." And with that, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

oOo

"Myoga!" Kagome wrapped her hand around the bug and attempted to hug him without crushing him completely. They were currently in Sesshomaru's study, both Kagome and Sesshomaru at the table, and Myoga being squished in Kagome's hand.

"Can't . . . breath . . ." Myoga struggled against her grip, when Kagome realized that she was hurting him.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought I was used to my youkai strength," She set him on her lap, Myoga rubbing his sore neck. Sesshomaru noticed that Kagome had cheered up considerably with seeing Myoga. He supposed it was because she was able to see an old friend.

"It's all right, Kagome. I must say, you still look just as beautiful, and your neck . . . looks like it's full of . . . delicious blood!" Myoga leaped toward her neck, but Sesshomaru grabbed him and flicked him across the room.

"Sesshomaru, that's not nice," Kagome picked Myoga up and watched his flattened form change back to normal. "I haven't seen him in so long. You could make an effort, you know." Sesshomaru nodded, glad that Kagome was rebuking him. She really was going back to normal. Maybe this meant that she was feeling better.

"It's quite all right, Kagome. Or should I call you Lady Kagome?" Kagome smiled and set Myoga on the table.

"Well, everyone has been calling me that, but Sesshomaru and I haven't . . . actually . . . you know, mated," Kagome nervously babbled, still not wanting to talk about her mating with other people.

"Ah, I see. And how is Shippo? And Miroku, and Sango? What about Master Inuyasha?" Kagome stopped smiling, looking down at the floor.

"Everyone is fine, except . . . Inuyasha disappeared a while ago. He picked a mate, but her baby didn't . . . make it. And now he's missing. No one knows what happened." There was an awkward pause.

"Oh. I apologize. I hope that everything works out well." There was another silence.

"Kagome, please go outside and play with the children. I have to speak to Myoga privately." Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, slowly nodded, and left.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it is not often that you ask me to come here. Is something troubling you?" Sesshomaru paused to think of how he would phrase his words.

"I need you to explain something. You see . . . I am undergoing the imprinting process."

"Imprinting . . . ? Wait a minute! Kagome said you weren't mated yet!" Sesshomaru took a deep breath. Myoga's incessant yelling was what bugged him the most about the flea. Well, that and the fact that he was a coward.

"Yes, she did. That is why I need you. I want to know why I am imprinting before the mating." Myoga placed his hand under his chin.

"Hmm . . . I'm not sure what to make of this. Your father was talkative, but he didn't talk much about mating with me, mostly because I never asked. It wasn't like I wanted to know. Hmm . . . What if we looked in his old journal?" Myoga looked at Sesshomaru expectantly.

Sesshomaru hadn't looked at the journal since the kids had managed to find it and used it to help them find out why Kagome had transformed into a youkai.

"I suppose . . . that it's possible that his journal may contain some answers." He turned toward his book shelf, where the book had rested until now. Picking it up, Sesshomaru leafed through the pages. "I don't see anything," Sesshomaru continued to leaf through it for a few minutes.

"Sesshomaru! Help!" Sesshomaru dropped the book and ran to Kagome.

"Kagome?! What happened?!" Her scent led him to Inuyasha's room. He burst through the door. Kagome was on the bed, holding her head between her knees. "Kagome!" Sesshomaru knelt beside her. "Kagome?" Kagome slowly lifted her head.

"Sesshomaru, Kyoko's gone! And look!" She thrust her hand toward the window. Sesshomaru carefully picked Kagome up, cradling her between his arms, and stood to look out the window. His breath caught.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what's wrong?" Myoga hopped up on his shoulder.

"Someone . . . someone . . ." Kagome sobbed, not able to finish.

"Someone has robbed the grave of Inuyasha's child." Myoga looked out the window, and saw the shrine. It had been torn to pieces, and there was a hole in the ground beneath it. Kagome gripped Sesshomaru's shirt. "Guards! Investigate the garden! There is an intruder! Kyoko is missing!" Sesshomaru shouted orders, knowing that the guards would hear him. Soon enough, there were a dozen or so guards looking at the mess, some of them smelling around, trying to identify who it had been.

"Oh my. Who would do this?" Myoga looked at Sesshomaru, but Sesshomaru's attention had shifted to Kagome.

"Kagome, are you all right?" Kagome shook her head.

"I want to go to my room, please," She begged him, looking up with teary eyes. Sesshomaru nodded, carrying her there. Once she was settled on the bed, Kagome tried to calm down. "I'm sorry. I just don't like seeing things like that." Sesshomaru rubbed her back.

"It's all right, Kagome. I noticed that . . . you have not been yourself lately. Is there a reason for this?" Kagome sighed.

"I've just . . . I've been feeling weird lately, you're right about that, but I don't know why. And this doesn't help," She sighed again. "Something similar happened when I was little. You see . . . when my grandmother passed away, she was buried with a necklace that she had loved. It was a rare type of sapphire, and there were diamonds around it. It was worth a lot of money. A few days after the funeral . . . someone robbed her grave." Kagome started to cry again. Sesshomaru hugged her gently.

"It's all right, everything is fine." Kagome shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. But when I saw that, it reminded me of my grandma, and I loved her so much. Ugh, I'm a mess. I've been so emotional lately. I hate it!" She pushed away from Sesshomaru and buried her face in a pillow.

"Kagome-"

"Please, don't, Sesshomaru! I'm really sorry, but . . . I just hate to be seen like this. And I wouldn't normally act like this. I feel like I'm sick or something." It pained Sesshomaru to know that part of the reason for her distress was because of the imprinting. _She must be feeling more self-conscious about herself. __**Comfort her! What are you waiting for?! **__And just when I thought you were gone for good. Leave me alone. _Despite his annoyance that his inner youkai was back, Sesshomaru listened to him and pulled Kagome back into his arms.

"Kagome, there is no reason for you to be self-conscious. It must be frightening to be reminded of something so uncomfortable, but I think I may know part of the reason why you feel badly about yourself. You see, Inu youkai males undergo something called 'imprinting.'" Sessomaru waited to make sure Kagome was listening.

Kagome looked up at him expectantly. "Imprinting is when the male is binded to his mate, and it should take place after the mating. But it appears that my imprinting process has begun early, for whatever reason. I didn't want to tell you, because I thought it would worry you more than you are now. But I think that you should know. I understand that Kyoko's miscarriage has brought worries into your mind, and now she is missing, and it is complicated at the moment. I will have my guards search for Kyoko. Just rest for now." Kagome took a deep breath.

"Yes, I have to be strong. I'm sorry." Kagome gave him a chaste kiss. Sesshomaru smiled slightly. "And this imprinting thing, how long does it last? How does it affect me?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I will explain more after you rest. Also, I think . . . that it would be best if you didn't fight with the other lords." Kagome frowned.

"What do you mean? I can't put off the fight, I have a duty. If I don't, we can't mate."

"I didn't say you wouldn't fight eventually. You will. But the imprinting is putting stress on you, and with what has happened, I don't think a fight would be best. I will explain more later. Now, go to sleep. It will make you feel better," Sesshomaru laid Kagome down on the bed. She nodded, clearly not happy, but willing to comply.

"All right. Thank you for looking out for me." Sesshomaru laid next to her and cupped her face with his hand.

"I will always do my best to protect you. Now, I must help the guards and try to find out what exactly occurred outside," Sesshomaru stood, opening the door. "Rest." He closed the door, and Kagome listened to his footsteps fade.

"Okay."

oOo

When Kagome awoke, it was dark out. She had spent the entire day in bed.

Looking around, Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru was on the other side of the bed, sleeping. _Thank goodness. Now he won't tell me to sleep more. _Sitting up, Kagome stretched. _I need to think. _

She stood and opened the balcony doors. The night was cold, and the wind rustled her hair. _I was happy to see Myoga today. It's good that we could see each other again. I missed him. Still . . . I haven't been acting normal lately. I feel as if everything is crushing me. __**Don't worry! If you win the fight, you'll be mated to Sesshomaru, and everything will be fine. **__Not you again! _Kagome sighed. Her inner youkai was back. Wonderful.

_It's not that simple. Inuyasha and Kyoko are missing, and someone robbed the grave. And Sesshomaru told me that it would be best to put off the fight. I don't want to do that, but I should listen to him. He knows what's best for me. __**Come on! Forget Inuyasha! He hurt you, didn't he? And you barely know Kyoko. **__Stop it! If you're the inner me, shouldn't you be telling me to do what's best? Am I really so selfish that, deep down, all I want is to be mated, and for my own happiness? That isn't right! _Her inner youkai didn't answer. Kagome sighed again, resting on the balcony's edge.

Hours passed by, and the night slowly changed to morning. The sun was beginning to appear from behind the horizon, turning the clouds pink. The birds awoke, singing their morning songs. Kagome didn't care for any of it. She was unable to drag herself back to bed, but she didn't want to stay on the balcony either.

As she had sat there, waiting for an answer from her inner youkai that she knew wouldn't come, she had thought about why Sesshomaru had suddenly summoned Myoga to the castle. Could it have to do with the imprinting? First Kagome had changed into a youkai, and then gained the marks of her future mate, and now the imprinting. Everything was happening so fast, and it was scaring her.

"Kagome, come back to bed." She turned to discover that Sesshomaru was awake, sitting up on the bed. "I was waiting for you to come back, but so far you have remained on the balcony. You will catch a cold if you stay much longer." Kagome nodded, walking back and sitting on the bed, yawning.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking. All of this is happening so fast, and it's happening too early. I want to be able to have control over my life, and it's annoying that there are aspects of youkai life that happen without warning," She complained, leaning on Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kagome. Perhaps now I should explain more about the imprinting." Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her. "You see, when I was young, my father felt that he should explain the imprinting to me. He told me that, when an Inu youkai male finds a mate, he undergoes a somewhat painful transition. His soul connects and becomes one with his mate. Afterwards, when the imprinting is complete, the male cannot stand to spend more than a few minutes without his mate." He paused.

"And? What else?" After staying up the whole night, Kagome was tiring now, and she wanted to hear the entire story.

"My father said that the imprinting begins when the male gradually starts feeling something like an electric shock going through his body. It begins in his face, and works its way down through the entire body. The female will notice it, although if she is not an Inu, she won't know what it is. You saw it once before.

"My father told me not to worry when it happens, and that it is natural. When the imprinting is over, the male will have to be with his mate, or else he will experience loneliness to the point of physical pain. I noticed that my father often spent time away from my mother, and they rarely spoke, but he did not seem to be affected. He didn't tell me why, but I eventually figured out that he had never imprinted on my mother." There was a long pause.

"I'm sorry about that." Kagome wasn't sure what else to say.

"But my father did imprint on Izayoi. He couldn't bear to be away from her, even for one day. I was never able to imagine being so close to a human." Sesshomaru gave Kagome a small squeeze of affection. "Although he told me not to worry over it, I can't help but feel worried now. Many things have been happening, and early imprinting isn't something I anticipated."

"I understand. Is that why you asked for Myoga? I know he spent a lot of time with your father." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Yes. He suggested I look in my father's journal, but I didn't find anything. Although, I think that the imprinting will not bring much trouble."

"Hopefully," Kagome sighed. "Oh, what about the grave? Did you . . . find anything?" Sesshomaru paused, and nodded reluctantly.

"Inuyasha's scent was on the remains of the shrine, and it could be traced to the mountains north of here. I sent guards to find him. I fear that perhaps losing his child has made him delusional." Kagome wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru.

"I hope he's okay."

oOo

"Inuyasha, will this really work?" Kyoko fidgeted on the rock that she rested on.

"Duh! Of course it will. I wouldn't be doing it if it wouldn't work." He splashed water on his face to wake himself up. Three days had passed since he had taken Kyoko and his child up north. Luckily, he had found what he was looking for.

Traveling to the mountains, he had found that the rumor was true. Hiding away, there was an ancient tribe of Inu youkai. The tribe lived off the land, and there were less advanced than everyone else. They didn't have houses, but simply slept wherever they pleased. They kept to themselves, and rarely let outsiders in.

This strange tribe relied on old potions and spells that no one had used for hundreds of years. They believed heavily in reincarnation, and that every child born in their tribe contained the spirit of someone else who had died recently. They wore makeup made of clay because, unlike most Inu youkai, they didn't have any markings on their faces.

Inuyasha had heard about this tribe, and had heard that they had ways of bringing the dead back to life. Supposedly, if they had a great leader that passed away, and they didn't want to wait for him to be reincarnated, they used special spells to bring him back as he was when he was at his strongest. Not being able to stand how hurt Kyoko was, Inuyasha had hunted them down and demanded to talk to their leader.

Their leader had listened to Inuyasha because he was half Inu, but he had said no to his request to bring back his child. He had insisted that the child's soul would simply be reincarnated in the next child that they had. But Inuyasha didn't care. He knew that Kikyo had just been clay and a piece of Kagome's soul meshed together, and that without the jewel, he would probably fail in bringing the pup back. But these youkai were skilled, and had practiced doing this for years. Finally, after arguing for many hours, they had agreed.

"Inuyasha, it's impossible to bring back the dead as they were before without using the jewel. There's no reason to do this. We'll have another pup, just please don't do this," Kyoko begged. Inuyasha was acting crazy. He had stolen their deceased child's remains, and he had it wrapped in a cloth that was now sitting next to him.

"I know this will work!" He insisted. A rustle came from the bushes, and a youkai from the tribe stepped into the clearing.

"Are you ready?" Inuyasha nodded, picking up the pup.

"Let's do this." Kyoko sighed, standing and following Inuyasha and the youkai back to the waterfall, where the Inu tribe performed all their rituals.

"Please don't do this, Inuyasha. Let's go back to the castle and apologize for what we did. Kagome is probably worried sick. I'm sure someone is looking for us right now." Kyoko grasped Inuyasha's arm, but he shook her off.

"Kyoko, be happy. We're going to have our pup. He'll be developed enough to survive, and then we can care for him like any other parents." He was smiling, but truthfully, Inuyasha was starting to have doubts. If this didn't work, he'd have to go back, and he'd look like a crazy idiot. Sesshomaru would probably try and lock him up because he thought that he would hurt someone.

"Please step into the circle," the youkai gestured toward the elaborate circle in front of the pool of water at the foot of the waterfall. The circle was made of clay pressed against the grass, and all of the tribe was gathered around them. They were all excited to see this. A revival was only performed in desperate situations, when they needed a great leader that had passed away. The older pups grabbed their mother's dresses, and the mothers held their mate's hands.

"We will now commence with the revival!" The leader stepped into the circle with Inuyasha. "Before we begin, I urge you, young one, to please consider stopping this. Your pup will be reincarnated, and you will see him again." Inuyasha shook his head.

"I have to try." The leader nodded. Raising his arms, he started to chant a prayer.

"Stop!" The alarmed youkai turned to see a pair of youkai, dressed in armor. Inuyasha recognized them at once as Sesshomaru's guards. One of them pointed at Inuyasha. "By order of Lord Sesshomaru, you, Master Inuyasha, are to return to the castle with your mate."

"No way! Get outta here!" Inuyasha snarled, holding the pup closer.

"Then we have no choice but to bring you back by force!" The guards lunged at him, and Inuyasha barely jumped out of the way in time.

"Inuyasha, stop it! This is stupid!" Distracted by Kyoko, the guards were able to grab Inuyasha by each arm. The pup fell to the ground. Kyoko winced, and gently picked it up, cradling it. "Our child has passed on. We can't do anything more about it. I was the one who was upset before, but now you're so upset that you're doing something crazy just to try and set things right." Inuyasha hung his head in shame. She was right, but what should he have done? It was his _child. _He loved it, and the pain in his heart wouldn't stop. It was like his heart had been set on fire.

"Kyoko, I'm . . . so sorry. I don't what got into me. It's just that, you know, it was our pup. I couldn't stand the pain. I'd been excited that we were having a kid." Kyoko stroked his face. The guards tightened their grip.

"I know. It's still hurts me too, but I know we can get through this. Please, just don't try doing something like this again." He nodded. "Now, let's go home."

oOo

Well, at least one problem was solved.

Sesshomaru smiled as he watched Kagome and Kyoko talking. After the guards had found them, Inuyasha and Kyoko had returned to the castle. The pup had been re-buried, and the shrine was rebuilt. Now Kyoko was telling Kagome what had happened, and Kagome was fascinated with the fact that there was a secret tribe of Inu youkai up north.

Of course, this couldn't go without consequences. Inuyasha had been locked in his room, and was banned from seeing anyone for the next few days. Kyoko would sleep in the next room over.

With everything settled down and solved, Kagome was feeling much better. It was one less worry in her mind.

"If it's all right, Lady Kagome, I think I should rest now."

"Oh, sure. You must be tired. I'll help you." Kagome stood, helping Kyoko up and leading her out of Sesshomaru's study.

Listening to Kagome's footsteps fade, Sesshomaru suddenly had a brilliant idea. Inuyasha could do as he pleased to help Kyoko through this, when he was allowed out of his room, but Sesshomaru had yet to do anything but talk with Kagome. _I think that it's about time that I gave Kagome some physical attention. _

While he was imagining what he would do to Kagome, Myoga entered the room and sat on his shoulder.

"My Lord?" Sesshomaru snapped back to reality.

"Myoga, what do you want?" Myoga cringed at his tone. It was the same tone Lord Inu Taishou had given him when his visits with Izayoi were interrupted.

"My Lord, I was simply wondering how Lady Kyoko was doing. She just recently returned, has she not?" Sesshomaru nodded. "I am sorry about that. It is an insult for a family member to commit such an act."

"Inuyasha has been locked in his room. I must say that . . . I honestly feel sorry for Kyoko." It was true. Ever since he had begun loving Kagome, his feelings had been easier for him to accept, and they arose more often.

"I believe that we all do."

At that moment, Kagome entered the room. Seeing her, Myoga quickly fled, knowing by Sesshomaru's earlier tone that he probably wanted to be alone with her.

"Kagome, how is Kyoko?" Kagome sighed, sitting down.

"She wanted to see Inuyasha, but I convinced her that she shouldn't. She decided to visit the baby." Sesshomaru pulled her up, putting his arm under her legs and hoisting her up bridal style. "S-Sesshomaru! What are you-" Sesshomaru silenced her with a kiss.

"Kagome, I hope that things will calm down, now that Inuyasha has been taught a lesson, and Kyoko has settled somewhat. Once your training is complete, you will fight, and I am absolutely sure that you will win. Now, it has been a while since I have physically pleased you," his voice turned into a low, seductive purr. Kagome's arousal spiked.

"O-Okay. Let's go." Her face flushed red as Sesshomaru carried her from the study and to their bedroom.

It _had _been a while, and Kagome had been wanting to be close to Sesshomaru. Having Sesshomaru close to her like that made her wish that they could mate right away.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said, laying her on the bed, "I have not said this lately, but I love you." Kagome smiled as Sesshomaru's shirt fell to the floor.

"I love you too."

-End-

Hi People!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so so so so so very sorry!!!! I didn't mean for it to take this long!!!! I'm so sorry!!!!! I've been super busy with school and chores at home that I haven't had any time! And my computer broke again! I'm so sorry!!!!!!!!!

I hope you guys liked this chapter! :) I tried to make it long, but I was so tired from how long the last one was that I couldn't make it much longer than this. I'm sorry, but I tried my best.

I'm going to try and focus more on Kagome's training process now, and write more about the other characters, too. It's been a while since Miroku and Sango showed up, right? And I think Shippo and Rin deserve some attention.

Again, I'm sorry, and I promise I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner. Please review!!!! Review review review review!!!!!!! Reviews make me soooo happy!!!! Please review!!!!

Merry Christmas to everybody!!! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!!! See you next time!!!


	45. The Final Blow

A/N: ALLLLLLLL RIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's here, finally! I am so so very very very very sorry that this has taken soooooo long! I have been very busy with school and work, but now that it's summer, I will have more free time to write. I am so so so so so so sorry that it took this long! I bed my readers to forgive me!!!!!!!!!!! I am so so so very very very very very sorry! I promise that I will try to post sooner from now on. And this is just a reminder, I plan for the story to be 50 chapters, so it's coming to an end soon. Please enjoy chapter 45, and once again, I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry it took this long!

-

Peace had finally returned to the castle. For now.

Kagome continued with her training, and she was now almost as good as Sesshomaru at phasing. Now she was focusing on controlling her powers. Sesshomaru had insisted on teaching her to use her poison breath, a move that would almost instantly incapacitate an opponent if used correctly, but Kagome was afraid of poisoning local flora and fauna. Sesshomaru had agreed to putting it off, because he was fairly sure that Kagome would be able to use it in battle, even without training.

Shippo and Rin stopped hassling Kagome as often, preferring instead to play in the snow on their own. Lord Rei and Lord Koga, at Sesshomaru's request, had gone back to their land for a few days to make sure their lands were under control. They had been gone for quite a long time, and chaos could ensue if someone wasn't there to keep track of everything.

Kagome also kept more contact with Koneko, the servant, more often. Koneko was usually given pardon from her duties to talk with Kagome, and occasionally Kyoko would join them. Sesshomaru wasn't pleased, telling Kagome that Koneko had responsibilities, but Kagome ignored him.

"I'm trying hard to learn how to fight, but it's so difficult. Sesshomaru says that a lot of it is coming to me naturally, but I'm not sure."

"Lord Sesshomaru is strong, and I'm sure you will be just as strong in time," Koneko assured her, pouring more tea. At the moment, they were in the library, where it was quiet.

"Thanks. Wow, this tea is great. Can you teach me how to make it?" Koneko smiled at Kagome.

"Of course. Whenever you have time, you can usually find me in the kitchen." They sat and chatted for a while, not talking about anything in particular. Kyoko briefly mentioned how she and Inuyasha were going to try and have another baby when Spring came, and she was in heat once again.

"That sounds wonderful. Ask me if you need advice." Koneko had a daughter and son of her own.

"That's great, Kyoko. You know, I was hoping to finish the battle before Spring, so Sesshomaru and I could . . . uh, you know, mate, and then have kids soon when I'm in heat in Spring." Koneko and Kyoko laughed as Kagome blushed while saying this. Koneko was older and more experienced, and as far as years went, Kyoko was younger than Kagome by about a year, but she was much less modest and shy than Kagome. They found Kagome cute when she was embarrassed.

"Kagome, as I said to Kyoko, ask me anything if you want." Kagome laughed a bit as well.

"I will, I'm sure if-" Kagome was cut off by a large, thundering noise.

"Lady Kagome!" Lord Koga burst into the room, grabbing Kagome in his arms.

"Lord Koga, what-" Lord Rei ran in, sheltering both Kyoko and Koneko.

"Everyone, stay down!" Another thundering noise sounded.

"What's going on? Where's Sesshomaru? And aren't you supposed to be home?" Kagome felt nervous now, wondering what was happening.

"Shh! Lady Kagome, you must be quiet! We can't have-" Another large boom, sounding like something had exploded.

"Shouldn't we leave? Is the castle collapsing or something?" Thoughts were rushing through Kagome's head now, the possible catastrophes that could be going on.

"Shh!" was Lord Koga's only response. They waited for a minute, listening to the irregular booms echoing through the castle.

"This is stupid! I can handle whatever this is!" Kagome shoved Lord Koga away, running out of the room.

"Lady Kagome, wait!" Lord Koga rushed after her. Lord Rei didn't move, still protecting Kyoko and Koneko.

Kagome rushed through the halls, following Sesshomaru's scent, knowing he would be at the center of the problem and trying to fix it. "Lady Kagome!" Lord Koga was surprised with her speed. It was only a matter of seconds before they were at the front entrance of the castle.

A giant bat was flying outside the castle, screeching, trying to battle with the large, white dog that was obviously Sesshomaru. Kagome didn't waste any time, focusing her energy and transforming into her true form.

Sesshomaru glanced back, and was mortified to see Kagome. He had told Lord Koga to keep her out of this!

"_Kagome, what are you doing?! I told Lord Koga to keep you inside!"_

"_Sesshomaru, I'm strong enough to fight. Don't worry about me. Duck!" _Sesshomaru ducked automatically as the bat flew over his head.

"_Lord Sesshomaru, I expected more of you. You could have at least finished me off the last time!" _The bat swooped again, this time at Kagome. She dodged, swiping at the creature with her paw.

"_Is that Tatsuya?!" _Sesshomaru nodded. Lord Koga, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop Kagome anymore, transformed into his true wolf form.

"_Let's kill this evil infestation!" _Lord Koga leapt into the air, but Tatsuya flew higher, avoiding him. _"You coward! Get down here!" _

"_Try and make me!" _He swept down again, aiming for Kagome. She leapt, missing him and skidding across the snow. _"My, my, Lord Sesshomaru, I'm disappointed. I would have thought that you would have enough sense to finish the job!" _Suddenly, a dark smog spread through the air. Sesshomaru stepped back, holding his breath.

"_You bastard!" _Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome, but she seemed fine, and he glared at Tatsuya. Knowing that he would avoid any attacks, he tried to think of a way to catch him, but couldn't think of anything.

"_I bet you were too distracted with your whore of a mate to kill me!" _That did it. Kagome was beyond reasoning, and she could feel her power swelling. Trying not to breath in the fumes, she opened her mouth, which now contained a sphere of glowing energy.

"_Kagome . . ." _Sesshomaru was too stunned to say anything else. The sphere gradually grew in size, and Sesshomaru quickly began distracting Tatsuya, knowing he would flew away if he sensed danger. Kagome's power continued increasing as Tatsuya flung insults at Sesshomaru about her.

It was only a moment before the sphere grew to an astonishing size, but Tatsuya didn't seem afraid. He was busy with Sesshomaru, along with Lord Koga, who had caught on. Kagome, soundlessly despite her massive physique, stepped behind Sesshomaru, closing her mouth partially to keep the weapon hidden, and still concentrating her anger.

"_Oh, what's this?" _Lord Tatsuya veered away from Sesshomaru, looking at Kagome. _"Trying a sneak attack?! It won't work!" _More smog spread across the ground, and Kagome winced. It burned her eyes. Shaking her head, she glared at Tatsuya. She was unable to speak, but her expression told him that she was up to something. He flew higher into the sky, laughing.

Through the sphere, Kagome managed to say, _"You . . . will pay!" _Opening her mouth, the sphere launched through the air with precision. Tatsuya flew to the left, the right, up higher, bu the sphere followed him, gaining speed.

"_How?!" _Lord Koga watched, amazed at Kagome's power. But Sesshomaru was not surprised. He had expected all along that Kagome had extreme potential, and until now, she had only lacked motive.

The sphere, changed to a glowing red, gained speed once more, and finally struck Tatsuya's back, exploding in light. Everyone closed their eyes, and when they looked again, Tatsuya was on the ground, in human form. Kagome changed back as well, and the others followed. Lord Koga went to Tatsuya, taking his pulse.

"No pulse . . . I believe that he is dead. But just to make sure, I will bring him to my castle, where we will dispose of him properly. Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Kagome, I . . . am sure that you will mate soon. I don't think I could compete with that kind of raw power. Good day," he said, transforming again, and picking Tatsuya up between his teeth. The ground shook with the steps of his large paws as he ran home.

Sesshomaru went to Kagome, who was staggering. Before she could fall, he lifted her into his arms. She suddenly felt so fragile . . .

"Kagome, are you all right?" She didn't respond, but when she looked up at him, her face was bright red. "Kagome!" Sesshomaru's instincts kicked in, and as he ran to the infirmary, he caught a glance of Lord Rei leaving, but didn't stop.

oOo

The doctor shook his head, putting his equipment away. Kagome had a high fever, and she hadn't said a word since the battle.

"Kagome . . ." Sesshomaru watched her desperately.

"She has been poisoned," the doctor said, taking out a vial of light green liquid.

"That's not possible. Inu youkai do not succumb to poison, because we use poison as a weapon, and have it in our system." The doctor shook his head again.

"That isn't entirely what I meant. She hasn't been poisoned the way someone else would be. You see, I witnessed the battle myself from another part of the castle, and I saw the smog that was on the ground. I recognized the scent of it. It isn't a poison, but an antidote. Specifically, it is an antidote to Inu youkai poison. Lady Kagome must have inhaled some of it, and now it is destroying the poison in her body. An Inu youkai's body has roughly two thirds blood, and one third poison, and without the poison, there is not enough blood to keep the body working."

As he listened, Sesshomaru reprimanded himself. He had noticed that the smog didn't bother Lord Koga, a Wolf youkai, but he hadn't paid attention to it. He should have known.

"What do we do?" Sesshomaru had to fight to keep his composure.

"Well, I would advise that she rest as much as possible. This liquid," he poured the vial into a cup, "contains pure Inu youkai poison. Have her drink it," he instructed, holding out the cup. Sesshomaru took it, but he was unsure. Kagome had previously been human. There was no telling what a cup of pure poison could do to her, even if she was now an Inu youkai.

Sucking in a breath, Sesshomaru lifted Kagome's head. "Here, Kagome, you need to drink this," he held the cup to her lips. Kagome's eyes opened slightly. "Please," Sesshomaru said, tipping the cup forward. Kagome opened her mouth, and Sesshomaru poured the liquid in.

Laying her back down, Sesshomaru stood and faced the doctor. "How long?"

"I don't know for sure, but I would estimate about three days. That's about how long it will take her to remake the poison that she lost, and for her system to recover." Sesshomaru nodded. "I bid you a good evening," the doctor opened the door and left. Sesshomaru was about to do the same, when he heard Kagome cough. Turning around swiftly, he saw that she was looking at him.

"Sesshomaru . . ." He knelt by her. "Please . . . after I'm better . . . I want to fight."

"Kagome, don't try to talk, please. And I told you before that the fight is postponed until further notice," Sesshomaru said, tucking Kagome's blanket more securely.

"No, I . . . want to fight . . . so that we . . . can mate in the Spring, when . . . I'm in heat," Kagome explained, coughing again.

"Shh, please, we will talk when you recover. Now, rest," Sesshomaru kissed her forehead before leaving.

oOo

In his study, Sesshomaru couldn't concentrate on his work. Kagome's words continued to echo in his head. _" . . . so that we . . . can mate in the Spring . . ." _

Sesshomaru hadn't been aware that Kagome had been thinking of those things, although it made sense. Kagome loved him, and was eager to mate and have a family. Sesshomaru had thought about it, but he had had a different plan.

He had wanted to postpone the fight until Summer, and he and Kagome could mate in Autumn, when she was in heat again. Or they could even postpone it an entire year, to allow Kagome a larger amount of training. He should have expected that Kagome would want to fight as soon as possible. He would have to discuss this with her later.

There was a knock, and a familiar scent drifted to him. It was Rin and Shippo.

"Enter." The door opened, and they came in, looking distraught.

"Lord Sesshomaru, is Mama okay?" Sesshomaru looked away.

"She simply needs to rest. Leave me be, I have work."

oOo

"Oh, Sesshomaru," Kagome moaned, the pain in her chest flaring. She could feel her body struggling to make up for its loss, and it felt like fire. She wanted him to be here, to comfort her, but he was busy, and she didn't want to be selfish.

It had been two days since the battle, and Kagome was strong enough to sit up, talk, and eat, but nothing else. Once, she had tried to stand, and had collapsed.

Kagome opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. The pain subsided, for now, and she exhaled. It felt good to know that Tatsuya was gone for good, but Kagome felt nervous. When she healed, she knew that she would have to have a debate with Sesshomaru about the fight. He wanted to wait, but Kagome didn't want to waste any time. She longed for the day when they could mate, when they would become united.

The door opened, and Sesshomaru stepped inside. The sun was setting, and soon everyone would be settling down to bed. He sat beside her, removing his armor and shoes, and climbing into bed.

"Hi," was all Kagome could manage. He gave her a chaste kiss and pulled her close.

"I hope you are feeling better." She nodded. He stroked her hair gently. "Kagome, I love you." His words surprised her, and she looked up. There was a strange look in his eyes, like he was looking at Kagome for the first time, and he was taking everything in.

"I love you too," she responded, not knowing where he was going with this.

"Kagome, I know that you want to fight soon, but I am worried about your health. I do not want the same thing to happen, for you to be hurt like this, or . . . for anything worse to happen," he said, holding her tighter. She smiled.

"I'll be fine. I-" Kagome coughed, and had to stop for a moment before continuing, "I know that I can do this. We still have, I dunno, about a month before the snow melts, and then another month before I'm in heat, right?" Sesshomaru's brow creased in confusion. "I've been reading this book about Inu youkai. I know a lot more about the mating and going into heat, among other things. I was hoping, maybe, after I heal, that I could keep training until a week before I go into heat, and then I could fight." She waited, but Sesshomaru didn't respond.

"That is . . . possible. You have been thinking about this, haven't you?" Kagome nodded. "Well, I'll talk to you again once you heal," Sesshomaru said, kissing Kagome's forehead. "Sleep, now, Kagome." Kagome nodded again, closing her eyes.

"Before we go to sleep, can I say one more thing?" Kagome opened her eyes. Sesshomaru nodded. "I just wanted to say that," Kagome pulled closer, her face inches from Sesshomaru, "I love you so much," she said, putting her lips on his. Sesshomaru indulged her for a moment, but then pulled away.

"Kagome, sleep." She huffed, and closed her eyes again. "Good night, Kagome."

oOo

"You cannot do this to Kagome. She will be devastated if she finds out," Sesshomaru growled. Lord Rei put up his hands in defense.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I am not saying that I won't allow her to mate, simply that I am not going to battle her." Sesshomaru dug his nails into the table.

"If you do not battle her, she will be forced to battle with me in order to rightfully gain the throne. She cannot do that." Lord Rei shook his head.

"You do not understand. Please, let me explain," he said, trying to calm Sesshomaru.

After defeating Tatsuya, Lord Rei had gone home to his castle, but only to check on the status of his kingdom. Afterward, he had come back to the West to talk with Sesshomaru.

"You had better have a good reason, Lord Rei." Sesshomaru's patience was wearing thin. Kagome, after four days, was feeling better, and claimed to be 'back to normal,' but Sesshomaru had insisted she stay in bed for another day, to be safe. Sesshomaru was already stressed, watching for any waver in Kagome's health, and arguing with Lord Rei wasn't helping.

"I do, I assure you. You see, after Kagome ran off to battle, I assisted her friends in finding safety. After that, I watched the battle from inside. I would have helped, of course, but I didn't want to leave the castle without any defense. I observed Kagome, and saw how much power she truly holds." He paused, watching for Sesshomaru's reaction, and noticed that he had relaxed slightly. "I have only heard legends of Inu youkai strong enough to wield the attack that Kagome used against Tatsuya. I was very impressed. Also, given how much she cares for you, and what a kind person she is, I would say that she is more than fit to be Lady of the West. I am not refusing to fight her, but giving her my approval and my blessing. May you two be very happy together."

Sesshomaru couldn't help feeling a bit surprised. The rule about a female battling to prove herself was one that was never ignored. For Lord Rei to give up like this was strange, and it showed that he truly and honestly believed in Kagome's abilities.

"Well . . . if you are sure," Sesshomaru waited for Lord Rei to nod, "I will tell Kagome about this immediately. And I am sure you realize that you no longer have any business here. It would be in everyone's best interest if you returned to your kingdom, permanently." Lord Rei nodded, smiling. As much as Sesshomaru respected him, he did not like the idea of Lord Rei neglecting his duties.

"Thank you, I am glad you understand. I will be sure to visit again, after the mating," he said, standing. Sesshomaru nodded, and Lord Rei left his study, hopefully not to return for a while.

Sesshomaru sighed, secretly relieved. One less danger for Kagome. Now she would simply battle Lord Koga for the throne, and that would be much easier without having to battle Lord Rei. Sesshomaru was more than confident that Kagome could handle Lord Koga.

He thought about what Lord Rei had said, about Kagome's attack. It wouldn't have been special, really, except for the fact that it changed from white to red, indicating the power level. It was common knowledge that Inu youkai energy attacks were color-based, changing as the power level increased, starting with green as the lowest, and red was the highest, the most powerful. Truly, Kagome had grown stronger than he had thought possible. Even Lord Koga would have difficulty using an attack that would equal a red Inu youkai attack, let alone beat it.

He stood, smiling, to tell Kagome the good news.

Kagome was sitting up, reading a book. Sesshomaru only caught part of the title, 'mating,' before she saw him and quickly put the book away. He silently noted that he would have to ask her about it.

Sitting next to her, unable to keep the smile off his face, Sesshomaru took Kagome's hand.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked, cautious. This wasn't Sesshomaru's usual smirk. It was more like the smiles he gave her after confiding his love, his happier smiles.

"I have good news. Before I tell you, I want you to promise that you will not panic. This is _good _news." Kagome nodded, more cautious than before. "Lord Rei will not battle you." Kagome stiffened, but kept her promise and held in her scream of protest. "He is forfeiting." Kagome's expression changed to surprise.

"Forfeiting?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"He saw your demonstration of power against Tatsuya. The attack you used, the energy that changed from white to red, was one of the most powerful attacks an Inu youkai can use. He fully believes that you will make a great and powerful Lady of the West. He sees no need to battle you for the throne," Sesshomaru explained, watching Kagome carefully. She seemed pleased when he mentioned the power of her attack.

"He's not fighting . . . because my attack was _the most powerful_? Really?" Sesshomaru nodded. Kagome beamed. "That's great! If I can use it again, then I can beat Lord Koga! Right?" He nodded again. Kagome sighed. "That's good. Really good. Maybe . . . I could skip my extra two months of training?" She looked at Sesshomaru hopefully.

"No, Kagome. You will still need as much training as you can obtain before you are in heat." She frowned, and sighed again. Of course that was what he would say.

"All right, then. Will you at least thank Lord Rei for me? This helps a lot, and you still won't let me out of bed yet," Kagome complained.

"He is most likely gone by now. He has to go back to his kingdom. But I am sure he will be back to observe the fight. He is too interested in the result not to watch." Kagome's face fell, and disappointment washed through her. She wanted to thank him soon, but she supposed she couldn't help it.

"Oh well. I guess I can thank him when he comes back."

"As for you, Kagome, do you think you will be able to come to the garden with me?" Surprise returned to her features.

"You're letting me out?"

"Only if you feel up to it." Kagome nodded immediately, standing carefully, not wanting to fall by accident. She felt like herself, but the slightest slip-up might make Sesshomaru feel otherwise.

"Let's go," she said, smiling. Sesshomaru smiled back, taking her hand as they left the room, headed to the garden.

oOo

Rin and Shippo were playing with the powdery snow, unable to form it into shapes the way they usually did. Their current snowman looked like a pile of cotton. Kagome smiled when she saw them, and noticed that they had both grown again. She estimated that it was about two inches, though she couldn't be sure.

"Mama!" Shippo exclaimed when he saw her. Kagome opened her arms wide just as Shippo jumped into them.

"Oomph. Shippo, you're getting bigger. And heavier," Kagome huffed, pretending that she had to struggle to keep him up. But, in truth, he felt as light as a feather. Kagome knew it was more due to her Inu youkai strength than Shippo's actual weight.

Shippo laughed, jumping down and looking back as Rin ran up to them.

"Kagome, how are you feeling?"

"Great. Hey, I have some good news for you two," Kagome said, waiting to make sure they were paying attention. "Lord Rei forfeited the fight. He said that I was strong enough to be Lady of the West, and he said he doesn't need to fight me. Now I only have to fight Lord Koga."

"That's awesome, Mama!" Shippo said, using one of Kagome's modern phrases.

"Wow, so you don't have to fight him?" Kagome shook her head at Rin. She smiled.

"How is the snow today?" Kagome asked, picking up a handful of it. Rin's smile changed to a pout.

"Not good. We can't make anything!" she complained, pointing to her sad excuse for a snowman. Kagome giggled, and then looked around. She spotted the fountain, located at the center of the garden, and walked over to it. All three followed, wondering what she was doing. She sat on the edge, looking down at the frozen water.

Suddenly, Kagome closed her eyes, and her hands began glowing green. Sesshomaru recognized the poison claw attack, and watched as she placed her hand against the ice. Slowly, the ice began to melt, the poison seeping through it. Kagome waited until it resembled slush, and took a handful of it.

Kagome carved the poison-covered slush into a small snowman, only a few inches tall, and showed it to Rin.

"See? You can make snowmen, you just need better material." Kagome paused, and sighed, tossing the small snowman away. "But that isn't safe anyway. It's covered in poison. I don't know why I didn't think of that."

"That's okay, Mama, you gave me an idea." Shippo climbed on the edge of the fountain. "Fox fire!" he cried, aiming a sphere of blue fire at the ice. It flared for a moment, and died down until it was gone. What remained was similar to Kagome's slush, except it lacked the green glow of poison.

"Shippo, I thought your fire was just an illusion." Shippo picked up the slush and grinned.

"I've been practicing. I can make real fire now, but not very much of it. I think I can make enough slush for a snowman, though. What do you say, Rin?"

"Yeah!" Rin smiled and stood on the fountain edge with Shippo. "Let's make as many as we can!" Shippo nodded, putting his slush on the ground, and turning back to the fountain to make more.

Kagome watched the children for a while, looking back and forth as Shippo made slush and handed it to Rin for snowman-crafting. It was a slow process, but after about an hour, they had a sufficient snowman, complete with a scarf, from Rin, and twigs for arms.

While she watched them start another snowman, Sesshomaru sat next to her and took her hand again.

"Kagome, what was that book you were reading?" Kagome flinched. She had hoped that he hadn't noticed.

"It . . . it's a book on Inu youkai mating." Rin and Shippo paused, but a look from Kagome told them to go back to their snowman.

"Mating?" Kagome nodded.

"Yes, it was the book that I told you about before, the one I learned about mating from. It told me that, although a female Inu youkai _can _get pregnant other times of the year, it is much easier when she is in heat, and that this is the best time for her to mate with her partner. I also read that she goes into heat twice a year, in Spring and Autumn, but I think you've told me that before. But the book goes into more detail about the whole process of going into heat and what effects it has on the males." She smirked as she said this, and Sesshomaru chuckled.

"You found this book?" Kagome nodded again.

"In the library. I thought it would be helpful, for me at least. I'm sure _you _have had plenty of experience," Kagome said, eyeing him jealously.

"What?" Kagome huffed, annoyed.

"Don't pretend that you don't know. I've been told by the servants that your inner youkai forces you to 'take a female' every now and then. And the book says that Inu youkai males do it because their inner youkai can't stand being without a female for too long." Sesshomaru stared at her, wondering what in the world had led any of the servants to tell her something like that.

"Kagome, you must understand, I was under the control of my inner youkai when I did . . . those things. Please do not hold it against me," he begged. Kagome sighed, and smiled.

"I already knew that! I was only teasing," Kagome said, leaning into him. "But you'll be yourself when we . . .?" she asked, trailing off.

"Of course. I will be myself completely when we are together, no matter what."

"Okay, that's good. And I promise that I'll be fine when I fight, all right?"

"All right, Kagome."

-End-

Hey, all you people!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad I finally got this chapter out! Like I said at the beginning, I am very very very very very sorry that I couldn't get it out sooner, and I'm also sorry that it wasn't longer. This is chapter 45, and only five more chapters until the end! I'll be so sad to end it! Although, at the moment, I am worried about making it long enough to even _make it_ to 50 chapters. But I really wanna make it that long, so I'm hoping that I can. I may cheat and write a chapter or two about something off-topic like another scene with Rin and Shippo, or something. I have to make it to 50 chapters!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was really glad because, this time, when I double-checked it, there were very few mistakes. I'm always worried about making mistakes and such, and I'm embarrassed to look back to the beginning of the story, because it's riddled with mistakes!

Well, I've been blabbing for long enough. I'm really really really sorry that it took a while, and I will try to finish the next chapter sooner. Please please please please please please please please please please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Review review review review review review review review review reviw review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I live on reviews, and without them, I will shrivel and perish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try and post the next chapter ASAP!!! Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye-bye!


	46. Author Announcement: Discontinuation

This is an author announcement!!!

Hello, readers, for those of you reading this, thank you very much for reading A Mysterious Flower. You have inspired me so much over these two years. Unfortunately, I am going to discontinue this story. I know that many of you may be disappointed to hear this, but I am too busy with school and my new job to be writing this. I am also currently taking a challenge called NaNoWriMo, on , something that will be taking up all my extra writing time.

I know that this is sad news, and I apologize, but between not having any time and the fanfiction writer's block that I am experiencing, I find that I can't write this story anymore. Perhaps I will continue it in the future, but for now, that prospect seems bleak. Once again, I apologize. Please do not be angry with me. I wish you all well in your fanfiction reading.

Regards, animeandmangagirl12.


	47. Announcement: Good news for all!

New Announcement:

Hey guys! Wow, it's been a long time. Almost a year! Well, I have some news for you guys.

Firstly, I am almost done with a novel I started last year, and am working on ideas for two new ones. I feel like such a successful writer! And these writing experiences have given me a serious boost in writing ego. Which leads to the second piece of news.

Second, I have officially decided to continue on with this story. I'm sure you guys wanted to hear that!

The truth is, it may not be continued as soon as you may like. As I said, I'm still busy with three books that I want to work on (I REALLY want to finish the one that's almost finished ASAP), but after getting some encouraging reviews and reading over the old reviews, I have been newly inspired for this story.

But there's a catch.

I looked back at the beginning of this story, and I gotta say, it SUCKS. Okay, the ideas are nice, but the writing is awful compared to what I can do now. I'm not surprised, though. I started this thing almost three years ago.

So, with the constant agony that the suckish-ness of my old writing style causes, I've decided to totally revamp this story.

You heard me right.

I'm going to rewrite everything. Every chapter, every sentence, every word, all in an effort to make it much, MUCH better.

And this may annoy some of you, who just want me to write more chapters so you can read the ending. But you might get an awesome new experience from this old story you know and love after it's rewritten. I may play around and change a couple of things, but it will essentially be the same, just with much better writing in it.

I haven't decided how I'll do that yet. I may just replace the old chapters. I might publish a new story with the same title and add something like "old version" to the old one and "new version" to the new version of the story. And once I do that, I'll add the end chapters, which I'm sure will make you all very happy.

But, like I said, with three books to write, plus school coming up in September, I won't be getting to it right away. It might even be months before I do anything. But I promise you, it WILL happen. I WILL rewrite the old chapters to make them better, and I WILL put up new chapters when I finish the old ones. I always hold true to my word.

I'd like to thank all you guys again for reading my story. All the love I've received, and continue to receive from new readers, is beautiful, and it's thanks to you guys that I never gave up this story, always promising myself that I would someday finish.

And I think I may even make a sequel to the story after I finish the original. But that's a ways away and something you don't need to worry about.

So a big thanks to everyone who has stayed with the story for the whole ride! And thank you to the new readers who come by and review to tell me what they think, three years after this story started. I thank you all for reading, and please keep hanging on for a revamped, better version of this story that will actually have an ending to it! :) I luvs all of you!

Regards, animeandmangagirl12


	48. New, improved story! Check it out!

Hey, everybody! Been a while, hasn't it?

I would like to announce that the promised rewrite of 'A Mysterious Flower' is finally up and running!

Yep, I finally got around to it. It's only the first chapter, but I promise that it's much better than the original start to Mysterious Flower. I am going to switch around some story elements and add a few things to make the story better, but the core part of the plot will remain the same.

It is titled "Roses Aren't Red" and can be found on my account, under the story section. My account name has been changed from 'animeandmangagirl12' to 'Mattaki-chan.'

I hope you guys all like it, and I will try to update soon. :)

Ja ne,

Mattaki-chan


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